


The Birds of Prey

by Moonlightdeer



Category: Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: (But they'd much rather be considered twins stuck with each other), (Forever), And all of them are at varying degrees of trigger happy, Dissociative Identity Disorder, Don't expect any similarities from the original, Ethical dilemma of joining the good guys, Gonna tear the plot of the movies to pieces, He's there for ten paragraphs at most, Human to giant metal harpies in one swift explosion!, Illustrated, Living with wings instead of arms, Mentions of Assasinations, Mentions of Hacking, Mentions of the Mafia, Minicon companions, Multi, No Sam, No poor angsty teens, Originally Posted on FanFiction.Net, Questionable ethical opinions, Re-write of old fanfic, Tags to be added as time goes by, The joys with coming without thumbs... or fingers, The perks of being powerful by nature, These girls know how to make it rain green, What happens when fully grown women end up in part of their favourite franchise, dimension hopping, mentions of blackmail
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-05-20
Updated: 2018-11-01
Packaged: 2018-11-03 00:36:00
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 12
Words: 66,523
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10956039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Moonlightdeer/pseuds/Moonlightdeer
Summary: Some higher being (Likely Primus) decides to throw a giant wrench in the workings of fate (Probably just for the shits and giggles) and decides to toss a group of friends into the Transformers Bayverse Universe and give them bird attributed forms. Not like they weren't busy running an underground criminal empire or anything like that! Without any way within reason of getting home, and with a few years before the beginning of the first film, the group of tight knit sisters from other misters decide to add this new world to their oyster collection.Their new focus however, is on making sure that the fate of the Cybertronian race isn't to end on Earth, Warlords, Fallen Primes and even Unicron be damned, Hell have no fury like a woman scorned, and these four aren't women anymore. They're a whole lot worse.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This is a re-write of a story I wrote in collaboration a few years back which ran off the rails and died, so, taking a page out of Victor Frankenstien, I have created new life! Only like said mad man's creation, this new life is about as morally righteous as, oh, I don't know, a slaughterhouse? Oh well, Aria, Wren and Hera belong to me, Kia and Nibbler belong to a close friend who's like a sister to me, Ira and Keeley belong to an equally close sisterly friend. Hope you all enjoy this story! Don't let the first few chapters fool you! This story has a high chance of going to some very dark places that humanity can reach, or wherever my imagination seems to dive.

* * *

**London Zoo Staff room, 2017**

“Bloody hell… if the heat ain’t gonna do me in, the smell is…” A man huffed, fanning his face with his hand, whilst the other pressed a chilled bottle of water to his head. “How in the name of god are you even drinking tea in this weather?” The man exclaimed, brushing his sweaty brunette bangs out of his face.

The woman sitting opposite to him just raised a delicate eyebrow at him from behind the pair of sunglasses they was wearing. “Because unlike you, I wasn’t raised in a fridge, it’s 25 degrees Celsius, really, you need to get out in the sun more Damien.” They announced, tone stoic and expression flatter than a pancake ran over by a steamroller, raising their mug to their lips again the quote ‘It’s nice to be nice, but sometimes, it’s just not appropriate’. In the pocket of their overalls, their phone was buzzing with notifications as it always was, the sound was barely noticeable and the sensation was something they were long numb to, they’d check the messages when they were at home, away from eyes they didn’t trust, at present, the music playing from the pair of headphones around their neck hid the sound of constant notifications from their co-worker.

Damien’s expression became that of irritation. “Oh… I’m sorry, I thought I was talking to Aria, why’d you have to interrupt our conversation?”

The woman’s features shifted a bit, sea green eyes promising pain from behind the black glass which hid them as a lock of black and white hair fell from it’s place tucked behind their ear. “She made this tea for me to enjoy, she hates herbal tea.” They announced, gesturing to the half drank mug of herbal tea, before taking another long, drawn out, maybe taunting, sip. “Honestly you should be used to this by now Damien, we swap around every few minutes at least.” They announced, twiddling with the necklace under their overalls with their free hand, elbows off the table and legs crossed.

If it weren’t for the worn, messy green overalls they wore, Damien would have sworn they were a visiting investor to the park who’d been given access to see the parks non-tourist areas, the fact they only ever wore grayscale clothing added to the assumption of most when they first met the women, there was also the unnerving feeling one got when gazing upon the Cruella devil reminiscent hair colours which split down the main parting, the white side streaked with black, the black side streaked with white, all currently tied back into a low ponytail, any other time outside of work and the mass would be cascading down past their rear, both of them hated getting it cut.

“Yeah I know, sorry, Wren, it’s not exactly easy to tell when you two switch places, you’re pretty discrete about it.” He tried to apologise.

“Would you like me to hand over to Aria?” The bored, and slightly hurt look the woman now bore made Damien feel like he’d been kicked in the gut, and a made him feel like a bit of a douche.

He hadn’t meant to distress the women, and now, he was caught, if he said yes, Aria would be bearing down on him like a mad bull at upsetting Wren, and then Wren would refuse to talk to him for months, and if he said no, well, that meant this awkward situation would only continue to get worse, and awkward situations normally resulted in Wren starting to act up, try and break the air with facts she probably didn’t realise were disturbing, uncomfortable, or… something else.

“Errrrr…”

His saving grace came a moment later, shrill screeches erupted from the open door to the medical wing.

Wren’s chair was crashing to the floor a moment later, the women bolting inside the medical wing before he had time to even register which of the current residents had made such a racket.

It took the concerned, yet always bubbly voice of Aria talking to Hera for Damien to get out of his chair and nearly run into the doorframe. “What’s wrong with Hera?!” He exclaimed, glancing between the thrashing adolescent Harpy Eagle, and her caretaker.

Hera was currently being treated for her left wing, which had a nasty sprain on it she’d gotten a week prior.

“There’s something in her enclosure, hey, hey, hey baby, come on, easy, easy, shhh, shhh, easy.” Their arm snapped out and grabbed onto the Harpy Eagles tasselled legs, holding tight and hissing as claws raked their skin for a moment through the padded overalls, they hadn’t had the time to grab her Falconry glove on in their rush.

Thankfully, once she was out of the small pen, the thirteen month old Harpy settled, warbling and screeching at a far lower volume, which in turn eased the other creatures who’d been stirred into a frenzied panic by the cries of the young Alpha predator.

Damien was keeping his distance as Aria peered into the enclosure. “Odd, there’s something in the corner, Damien, can you go get my glove please?” Aria enquired as they knelt down, extending their occupied arm out uncomfortably behind them to keep Hera away from the object. It was abnormal to say the least, covered in markings they both had a sneaking suspicion they recognised, if this was some sick joke, Aria was handing full control over to Wren so she could hunt down the culprits. Then she’d just revel in the aftermath. Maybe buy a few white roses to toss on the body bags...

Everyone knew their second passion in life, after Falconry, was the Transformers franchise, they could talk the microphone off a computer if they wanted on the subject, it had allowed them to form countless friendships, especially that of their two closest, who’d long since become sisters to them. What people were not so aware of was what they and their ‘sisters’ really did, whilst they used their shared passion of Falconry to cover their tracks.

The Autobot insignia Earrings, the dual sided Talismen with the insignia they used to signal which of them was in control, hell, the Tattoo of their names in Cybertronian which arched along her collarbones gave their passion away, the final tattoo which ran from the top of their shoulder blades and down to her hips however, was not Transformers related, and was one they made sure to keep hidden.

But to do something like this to one of her Avian charges… Someone was gonna get a headful of lead, a light up Matrix of leadership? Where’d someone even get one?

“S-sure.” The poor man stammered, he wasn’t used to handling Carnivores, especially avian Carnivores, he worked with the Capuchin Monkeys, one of the Harpy Eagles main food sources.

The man went back into the main staff room, but his search was abruptly cut off by a startled human cry, a cacophony of animal cries, and a blinding flash of light.

Jolting the man raced back into the medical wing.

The animals were in a panic, screeching and thrashing in their pens.

But Arien, Hera, and a good chunk of the tiles on the floor, were gone, a large scorch mark in the doorway to the pen, and the object gone.

“Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit! _OH SHIT_!”

* * *

**Kenya**

A supped up camo jeep roared across the the dirt road it was on, engine thrumming and the tires sending up a cloud of dirt behind it.

High above, a Bateleur eagle let off a triumphant screech.

The driver’s expression morphed into an almost manic smirk as the jeep hit another rough patch at high speed, sending the entire high speed, off roader vehicle into the air for a moment.

Her passenger, her probably temporary co-worker and old childhood friend, Janmi, let off another terrified cry, both hands clutching the ‘oh shit’ bar to her right, her heart racing from something vastly different from her suddenly manic co-worker.

“KIA! SLOW DOWN!”

“No way! I ain’t losing this bloody race!” Kia shouted right back, somehow slamming the accelerator even further into the ground, her hands, scuffed and calloused from  years of exertion, tightened their grasp around the leather of the steering wheel.

Janmi, an atheist, decided to start praying to the cosmos for her continued existence.

There was no chance in hell the twenty six year old woman driving the vehicle was going to heed her wish to live to see the next day. She was just too damn competitive for her own good.

Then, in one heartstopping moment. Kia hit the brakes, pulling the jeep into a hard right, elating both a scream from Janmi, and the brakes themselves as the sudden shift in direction threatened to roll the vehicle entirely.

Thankfully, that wasn’t the case, Janmi, however, barely registered that fact, to busy trying to roll the window down fast enough to try and get air back into her suddenly empty lungs, having let out such a long sigh of relief at being alive, she’d ran out of air.

Kia, had no such need to stay alive, kicking the drivers side door open and leaping out of said new exit, hand snatching out and grabbing her falconry glove and shoving it on her left arm.

Her feet hit the ground, rushing to the finish line.

An old Elephant skull.

The cry of the Bateleur eagle sped her up.

And she finally beat the damn bird, her foot triumphantly hitting the ground right next the skull as her gloved arm snapped up expectantly, the black ink cybertronian tattoos that sprawled out across the skin not covered in the thick leather prominent against her brown skin.

The smug face she had, was not ignored by her Bateleur.

As evidenced by the fact that the irritated black, red-ish brown, cream and pink faced bird, instead landed on her head, letting off another screech as his claws sank into the brown mass of barely contained hair that the Hispanic woman had.

“GOD DAMNIT NIBBLER!” She snarled. “On the arm! You land _on my arm_!” She stomped her foot with the last three words to express her point.

Janmi snorted as she finally got out of her side of the jeep, he legs still a little weak from all the blood having been pumped to her heart and head during the terrifying race. “Well Kia, given the size of that pride of yours, I’m not surprised he goes for the larger landing pad.” She snorted, her accent thick and smooth like honey.

Kia snorted right back, reaching up to take Nibbler by the tassels, the Eagle didn’t fight, hopping off her head and onto her gloved hand, which he quickly moved to start chewing the heavily padded thumb. Used to this, Kia ignored the bird to instead prop her ungloved hand on her hip, raising an irritated eyebrow at the Mocha skinned woman she now had as a co-worker whilst she was stuck in Kenya on her mother's orders. “Says the woman who literally grew an afro to personify her own over inflated ego.”

Janmi pouted, the Kenyan National striking a pose, hand to her forehead in mock exasperation. “Thou wounds me! A delicate Gloriosa Lily like myself! Marred by an ego like yours! Why it’s practically blasphemy!”

Kia huffed, wishing she had both arms free so she could cross them, instead, her free hand went down to her hip, running along handgun holstered there. “Wren’s rubbed on off you evidently.”

Janmi just smirked and sent the woman a wink. “You know it. When a woman can hold a town silent with a single word, yah gotta take notes.”

“Whatever, I can see why Ira thinks you’re the female version of Knockout, without the sadistic tendencies of course… well, most of the time.” She chuckled then, remembering times long past.

Janmi just laughed at that. “Of course I am! Look at me! I’m fabulous!” She announced, gesturing to her, admittedly, gorgeous figure.

Kia sent the woman a look, before turning to the long striped and sun bleached acacia tree that grew close to the Elephant skull, she planned to let Nibbler perch on when they were out here.

The Bateleur Eagle however, was not interested in staying on his perch, and with a surprising amount of determination, broke from Kia’s grasp, taking to the air.

“ _SHIT_! NIBBLER! GET BACK HERE YOU DAMN TURKEY!” Kia shouted, breaking out into a sprint, bounding over the odd shrub and log as the Bateleur flew just over the ground.

“Kia! Be careful! THERE’S LIONS HERE!” Janmi shouted, knowing she’d have no chance of  keeping up with the woman, the former latino track runner was only ever outpaced by her sister from another mister Ira, that speed demon could run laps around anyone, what she couldn’t do, was beat Kia in a wrestling match, the woman was as tough a cookie as her father before her, and just as intimidating.

Janmi let a content smile form on her face, being friends with one of the heads of the Triage came with some heavy perks. Not that she could brag about it to anyone, it could get her killed.

Kia however, was more focused on the fact that Nibbler had finally landed a short ways off, only to take right back up into the air, with what looked like a cube held in his talons.

The first thought that entered her mind was ‘What the flying fuck is a perfect cube doing in the middle of nowhere’ the next was ‘MINI-ALLSPARK!’

That had come upon spotting the surprisingly familiar Cybertronian markings that she must of seen a few thousand times in her life.

The next thought was ‘The hell is a Mini-Allspark doing in the middle of Kenya?’

Before she could mull on it further, Nibbler was dropping it into her hands, it felt like metal, but also felt as light as a feather.

Then, Nibbler did a very strange thing, he landed right on her gloved arm, tilted his head at her, and let off a screech.

The next thing Kia knew, she was engulfed in a blinding light.

Said light, was clearly spotted by Janmi, who, in her panic, broke into a sprint, shouting her old friends name in terror.

When she reached the spot, all that was left was a smoking divot in the ground.

“Oh… shit... Imma dead woman walking… How the hell am I supposed to explain this to the Triage?”

* * *

**Rome, Italy**

“ _IIIIIRRRRRAAAAAA_!!!”

“I AIN’T DONE _SHIT_ ! ... _TODAY_!”

Two young adults scowled at each other, one perched on a sofa, the News playing in front of him, the BBC headlines running along the bottom as a woman droned on in English. The other, the female, was propped up against her doorway, free hand holding a dead mouse.

The male teen, Benedict, pointed furiously at the screen, apparently assuming that would explain everything to the female teen, despite the fact that she couldn’t actually see the device due to it being out of view of her position.

“Care to clarify? I was trying to feed Keeley. Yah dick.” Ira huffed, glaring at one of her many roommates.

Benedict scowled. “Oh yah know, ‘someone’ painted a fucking massive dick on the side of the Roman Coliseum last night, a giant, metal, dick.”

Ira scowl/pouted. “Fuck, I was planning to do that next week… on the Parliamentary Building… Why the hell yah think I’d deface history!? I ain’t pissing off both sides of Arien!”

“IRA!” Benedict exclaimed.

“Wwwwwhhhhaaaaaattttttt?!”

“You’re bloody fucking impossible!”

“No I am not! I just hate Politics righ’ now! But I ain’ home in tha USA where I could do it tah the source, oh, I don’t know, Capitol hill maybe! Yah know, to piss off tha lot! Besides! My previous statement was correct, I ain’ done _shit_!” With that said, she slammed her door back shut.

Benedict scowled. “YAH MENTAL!”

From inside her room, the young adult shouted right back through the speakers on either side of the now closed door. “SAYS THA ONE WITHOU’ THA PHD IN SOFTWARE AND COMPUTER ANALYSIS!”

“Damnit, why the fuck she gotta be a computer prodigy…”

A chuckle came from the woman lying strewn out on the island in the attached kitchen. “Cause she’s got three sisters, all with PHD’s, all rooting for her. An’ none of them ever let her fall behind, only pushed her further. Also, her entire biological family are tech prodigies, it’s as much in their blood as iron is.”

“Two, two, Clementine, she has two ‘sisters’ with PHD’s.” Benedict tried to point out. “DID don’t mean shit.”

“It does yah prick, stop saying Aria and Wren are the same person, you know how nuts Ira gets when yah go all ass about it.” Clementine huffed, pointing an accusing finger at the Parisian. “Remember who’s letting us stay in her penthouse, sleek and modern as all fuck home, rent free.”

Benedict scowled. “I’m just saying, how many recorded cases of the different personalities ‘getting along’ and not ending up like complete psycho’s are there? NONE! She’s faking it! You saw Split! DID’s are dangerous! Shouldn’t be trusted with a stick!”

“I’m not talking to you Benedict, you already know my opinion on the matter, also, why the hell yah tryin’ to rile her up, that ain’t a metal dick that’s on the news, it’s a human dick, like you. Yah dick’t.” Clementine retorted, scowl marring her face, before pushing herself off the island and striding towards the corridor, untamed blonde hair bouncing as the resident clean freak approached Ira’s room, pressing down on the button next to the door which linked to a set of  speakers on the other side of the sound proof, and blast proof door, which was covered with many, many warning signs, pictures of Transformers, both Cannon and not, and a bunch of other stuff that Ira had stuck there over time.

“Who dares disturb mah domain!?”

Clementine snorted. “The ever loyal servant to the Tech Harpy of course.”

“Hmmmm… I have many loyal servants, what’s tha password.”

“Sisukno.” She whispered, Benedict wasn’t supposed to know, he wasn’t with them.

“Enter.”

The shit eating grins the two women exchanged at Benedict’s distant displeased comment could rival that of Hyenas.

Ira was perched at her desk, fingers lightly brushing over the head of her beloved Red Kite Keeley. “If he wasn’ such a good cook I’da shown him tah tha curb by now.” Ira huffed, just as her stomach growled. “Damnit, I’m cravin’ Aria’s beef wellington too…”

Clementine chuckled, moving to drape herself over the red and gold striped duvet which was neatly tucked into the edges of Ira’s bed. “Same, that girl knows how tah cook.”

Ira laughed then. “I ever tell yah about tha time Wren tried to use Aria’s recipe?”

“Only about sixty times this last month alone.”

That got a tongue being poked at her.

“Not denying it ain’t fucking hilarious.” She quickly added.

Ira snorted, a wide, fond smile on her features as she watched Keeley continue to rip into the mouse she’d given the Red Kite as an afternoon snack. “They’re at work righ’ now, I’ll call um later, ask Arien to see if they could come over some time soon, maybe Kia too… but she’s out in batshit nowhere, with as much signal as a fucking rock. Yah know, keeping off the radar till the heat dies down and all that...”

Clementine nodded, staring at the ceiling above, the posters there ranging from sleek sports cars, mostly Lambos, Corvettes and Aston Martins, others were paintings of all sorts of things, the ‘punk art’ as Benedict called it, was Ira’s, the landscapes painted in vibrant contrasting colours being Aria and Wren’s pieces that they sent Ira every so often when the women had some free time, and could agree on what to paint. Then there was the traditional Mexican artwork scattered around the room, everything from clay skulls painted for the day of the dead to a collection of pots which Ira used to hold her own painting tools.

A familiar clicking sound drew Clementine's view away from the ceiling, and instead to Ira’s hands, and the sleek custom revolver in the twenty four year olds grasp. “Pissed?”

Ira tilted her head just enough to flash a smirk at her closest friend after her sisters. “The Hell I am, someone’s tryin’ tah take over my shtick.”

Her hands, bejeweled with metal, gem studded rings, went right back to work typing code into the four separate computers on her desk once the weapon was safely put down on the desk, ready to be hidden away within its owners clothing.

“Yah trying to find the slagger?”

“Wha’ do yah think I was doing? Hacking Fort Knox? Been there, done tha’, they still ain’ caught me.”

Clementine smirked. “You could bring a country to it’s knees if you wanted to.”

“Pfft, I ain’t baiting the rage of Arien. They're why I’ve only been targetin’ ‘bad guys’ in tha world. They got more power hidden away than me. Best at hiding it too, no one but the highest tiers knows who they even are.”

Clementine nodded. “You three certainly could do a lot of damage, Kia’s links to the Mafia’s, Arien’s… contacts her and her folks… ‘acquired’ over the years, and you with your threats and capabilities of disarming entire military forces within a few short minutes… damn girl. Lord's help us if yah were all Con fans… Well, most Cons.” She added at Ira’s pointed gaze.

Ira shrugged. “Yah know we ain’ into causin’ anarchy, our parents were, not us, we’re fixing the damage not addin’ to it.” The words she spoke then were rehearsed, spoken a thousand times over to doubters of the Triage, the unity of the three global underground forces she, Kia, and Arien represented and run respectively.

“By painting giant metal dicks on the sides of some of the most important political buildings in the world?”

“Pfft, hobby. You heard from the boys down south?” Change of subject, Clementine knew not to press further on the recent news.

Ira had probably already gotten a ping from Arien about it.

Those women were never out of the global loop.

Clementine shook her head. “Nothing new so far, everyone’s behaving, am I allowed to know the next stage of this grand plan of yours?” She watched as Ira shut down her screens, stroking Keeley’s head with the other hand before moving to pick the Kite up, the ever loyal bird not fussing at all as a decorative hood was placed over her eyes and she was placed into her travel case. “Can’t, gotta educational talk at the local high school, biology class, they’re doing about Predatory evolution, fascinating subject you know.” The twenty four year old smirked, swaying her hips from side to side in a taunting fashion as she stretched her arms over her head, causing her shirt to pull up and reveal the toned muscle beneath, marred by the odd scar. “Wonder how many little boys I’ll be getting excited today.”

Clementine responded with an appreciative wolf whistle. “Knock ‘um dead boss.”

Ira flicked her pixie cut, fiery red hair back, striking a dramatic pose. “Darling, wherever I go, I’m leavin’ them dead.” With that, she swept up her revolver, and two hand guns, each custom, one lush gold, the other blood red.

All three were quickly hidden away under her worn leather jacket, the thick leather also hiding the Cybertronian tattoos of both her full name, and code name, which wrapped around her forearms.

Sprawled across her chest, the emblem of the Triage, hidden by a tight fitting brownish red shirt.

Clementine went to stand, moving to open the door for the slightly older woman.

Ira gave her a thankful nod, picking up Keeley’s carrier, making her way down the corridor, when she reached the halfway point she stopped and turned back to Clementine. “I forgot tah grab mah keys.”

Clementine snorted, reaching over the key rack which hung next to the door. “Which keys?”

Ira paused, placing her free hand on her chin, pouting slightly as she mulled over her options. “Give me mah Gallardo, I wanna ride in Sunny today.” She responded, the mere nickname of one of her two favourite Lambos making a wide smile form on her face.

Clementine nodded, picking up the keys without even looking, and tossing them towards Ira.

Ira easily caught them, only to double take at the four keys now in her palm.

“Omega lock keys? When the fuck did ah get ahold of...” She was cut off by the sudden blinding light which exploded out from them, causing a minor shockwave to blast down both sides of the corridor.

The shockwave knocked Clementine back, and had Benedict jumping up from the sofa, ears ringing and expression filled with panic and shock as he rushed for Clementine, who was laying prone against the cupboard the force of the blast had thrown her into.

Already the smoke alarms had activated, the sprinkler system coming out of it’s hiding places around the penthouse apartment to handle the minor blaze left in the corridor.

Benedict went to help Clementine up, only for her to shove him away, a shocked look on her face as she pulled out her phone from her slightly charred pocket.

She was quick to dial in a number she had memorised to heart by now.

A black and white icon stared back at her as the dial tone rang once, twice, three times, then went to voice mail.

An automatic voice began to play, but she was already redialing, praying that Arien would respond.

Arien never missed a call, one of them always picked up.

They never let it go to voicemail.

This time, there was another response.

‘The phone you are trying to reach, has been terminated.’ A deep, baritone voice spoke, then cut out.

Her heart was racing now, fingers frantic as they almost miss speed-dialed Kia’s number.

Nothing, it rang, went to voice mail.

Again, the same message, the phone apparently ‘terminated’ The same Baritone voice.

Arien and Kia had different phone brands...

Before she could dial again, a new icon appeared, Janmi’s.

She slammed the accept button.

“JANMI!”

‘CLEMENTINE!’

“IRA’S GONE!”

‘KIA’S GONE!’

A silence rung out between the two women.

Clementine spoke first. “Have you managed to contact Arien?”

‘Fuck no, got a message saying her phone had been terminated! That’s impossible! No one would dare even touch her phone! Let alone know who she was!’

Clementine’s resolve hardened then. “Ira just vanished in a big old ball of explosive light.” She dropped into the desk chair her boss had been sitting in not minutes earlier, thankfully, the sprinkler system had only come on in the corridor.

Screens lit up, the Triage insignia coming to the forefront.

Username, all seven different passwords, each designed to be harder to crack then the last flew past.

The main user interface was already before her.

‘CALLING ALL AGENTS! THE HARPIES ARE M.I.A. REPORT TO YOUR SUPERVISORS, PREPARE FOR WORST CASE SCENARIOS.’

Instantly, messages came flooding in, from all across the world, the chat line becoming a blur as thousands of Triage agents responded, trying to figure out what had happened.

She typed one last message.

‘We could be under attack. Prepare for a crackdown. All agents, number one priority is locating the Alpha Tier.’

She hesitated in pressing, Janmi was still on the line, likely viewing the feed herself.

Crackdown only meant one thing.

Only the four highest tiers had the authority to call for it, and it had to be cleared by all three Harpies.

But in this situation, that safeguard was impossible.

She hit enter.

Likely changing the fates of millions if not billions of lives in the process.

If it was deemed absolutely necessary, the Triage was coming out of it’s thousand years of hiding.

They had to find the Harpies, before everything broke down.

* * *

Human Headshots of our four lovely dames, the twins would have my head if I called them one person.

Wren: Damn right! Now what the hell kinda stunt did you just pull damnit?!

Aria: Ugh, duh, it's called getting warped to an alternate reality Wren.

Wren: BY A MATRIX OF LEADERSHIP?! What kinda shit are you trying to pull?!

Moon: Nothing.... much... maybe a bit of foreshadowing?

Aria: Well that's not a comforting thought.

Wren: You're lucky that if I kill you, we stop existing.

Moon: Should I expect that on all my birthday and Christmas cards now?

Aria: Most likely... anyway, thanks for reading readers! Hope to see more of you!

Wren: Sister, really, breaking the forth wall already?

Aria: Eh, why not, it looks like we got this ending to ourselves, right? 

Moon: That's because the others have already arrived, you're destination is a lot further that the others were.

Wren: There better be no side effects to this.

Moon: I'm not promising anything.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lost, injured and hopelessly unequipped for surviving the treacherous Amazon, a lost human male finds himself in the reluctant care of beings that defy logic, and have their own, personal reasons for not killing him on the spot.

**Chapter 2**

December 7th 2005 Somewhere in the heart of the Amazon rainforest

The clamour of the Amazon during the peak of the night was almost a deafening din in the ears of a man as he scrabbled across the forest floor, eyes blown wide and barely spotting the difference between tree and the path he was on. 

The sounds of the predator which had tried to attack him had long since petered away, the ambush failed.

But the man didn’t stop, didn’t realise that the blood pounding in his ears was not the sounds of a Predator moments from feasting upon his flesh.

His sleeping clothes seemed to get stuck on everything, his scarf already long gone on some tree that had tried to choke him.

Before he had time to react, he ran full pelt into a boulder which seemed to materialise in front of him, it was only waist high, but it was more than enough to send him tumbling to the ground, winded and drained.

For a brief moment, he lay there, panting from exertion, far above, beyond the canopy, hundreds of thousands of stars stared down upon him and the rest of this seemingly endless Rainforest, like silent vigils watching over all, seeing all, yet, never able to do a thing.

He snorted, cursing his exhausted mind.

He tried to rise, using the boulder as a prop.

Only to barely hold in a shout of pain as his right leg collapsed under him, broke, the impact with the boulder.

Pain came flooding back, his body covered in scrapes, bruises, and now, a wrecked leg.

There was no way in hell he was gonna make it back to the camp… if he even knew in which direction it was… he’d bobbed, weaved, changed direction so many times… trying to get back ran the high risk of him getting even more lost.

He was going to die here, without his body ever likely being found. 

Another predator would find him.

As if his thoughts had beckoned fate, a piercing cry reached him, and the sound of heavy, beating wings.

His brown eyes traveled up, spotting the white, grey, black… the talons out, descending towards him as the wings caught the rays of moonlight, illuminating the form which would take his life.

Spotted the sea green, glowing orbs that were trained upon him.

Spotted the sheen of metal.

Felt the cold steel talons as they surrounded his middle, his left arm, and the loss of contact with the ground, as he was swept off, into the air, dangling below the unnatural, massive creature as it’s wings caused the world around him to rustle and lean away from the heavy wing beats.

His mind gave up, unable to crack the code of what had him.

Oblivion over took his fatigued figure moments after the creature carried him beyond the canopy.

* * *

Some time later

A pained groan left the man as consciousness returned to him. His body ached, most prominently his right leg, and for the middle of the night, it was surprisingly bright beyond his tightly closed eyelids.

“Oh good! You’re awake!” A chirpy, strange, feminine voice called from somewhere to his left.

Why was the ground suddenly so soft and squishy?

Letting off another groan, he willed his eyes open, only to find his gaze locking on what seemed to be the ceiling of a cave, one covered in crystals which seemed to glow a brilliant blue, they must've been what was illuminating the cave…

How’d he even get into a cave? Who was that voice?

Turning his head down, he found himself staring at a hodge podge of different large leaves, all being wrapped tight around different parts of his body in crude bandages.

Looking further down, he found his leg splinted between two sticks, held together by a vine wrapped around the two pieces like the loving embrace of a python.

Turning his head, he found his view blocked by a pile of mismatched sticks, plants, vines and moss, all stuffed together in what honestly looked like the side of a giant bird's nest.

Dotted with strange metallic feathers.

“Who… who’s there?” 

“Oh, just us. You know, you really had us worried when you were found, all banged up, you really shouldn’t off been out there at that time of night without anything to guide your way.” The upbeat voice called, then the ground started shaking with sudden, loud impacts, slower than a normal humans walk, dragging almost for every other, the screech of metal and a muttered curse.

It was enough to get him startled into full awakeness and trying to sit up to see the cause of the noise, only to hiss at a sharp pain from jostling his leg.

A chirring sound quickly followed, and something cold was pushing him back down into the strange nest.

“Don’t move, you’ll aggravate your injuries.” A cold, stoic voice, also feminine spoke this time.

Now, all the man could do, was stare at the massive face hovering over him, lips formed in a slight frown, the upper half of the face hidden by a visor of black glass.

What surrounded, was a mass of metal plates two different tones of grey, one light, one dark.

On either side of the massive head, three attachments, the longest at the top, black, the middle, the light grey, and the bottom and shortest ones a stark white, all flared out, a display of some sort, blocking a good deal of the ceiling from his already limited view.

His jaw fell, more in shock than in terror.

His eyes then shot to the blanket of metal feathers that were pushing him down by his chest, all of them  leading towards a black main support, which was unfurled out towards him from where the… thing... knelt at enough distance so that the position of what he could only say was a wing, wasn’t going to be uncomfortable for the rest of the metal body attached.

“Tell me your name.” 

Snapping back to reality he looked towards that black visor. “Huh?”

A sigh left the metal creature as she put her head to the side of the nest. “You’re name, I need to know your name you  _ stupid fool _ .” 

A slight prang of indignity hit him, but he answered none the less. “Jamerson, Jamerson Grant.” 

A snort seemed to leave the creature as she returned her head to it’s previous position. “Knew it, naughty, naughty, carrying a fake identification like that. Hmm, let’s see… Jamerson… Jamerson Grant…” There was a brief moment of pause from the creature then, but it was akin to an eternity for Jamerson, his heart racing.

She must of gone through what was on him.

Why hadn’t he used his cover name like he was told?!

The reason was obvious, a giant metal bird woman existing before him had fried his brain.

“Hmmmm…. Interesting… C...I...A… Oh, I have ways of getting info outta boys like you… but, not now, you need to heal first. You stupid boy.” Her tone was now taunting, a hummed ring highlighting the British accent she held, if he didn’t know better he’d swear he’d heard a pleased purr come from this strange creature.

With that, she rose, revealing the rest of the towering monochrome form, currently left with a dusty blue tint due to the glow from the surrounding crystals.

He was stumped though. How had she even?

“Oh, and, seeing as you asked, I’m…”

“ARRRRRRRRRRIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEENNNNNNNNNN! THAT HUMAN FUCKING UP YET!” The sudden blaring shout was quickly followed by what he realised was a crude door made of lashed together logs being shoved open my a brownish red wing, as a white, orange and grey form appeared attached to the wing.

“Yeah Ira! He just woke up! Come take a look! He’s CIA!” Her voice was suddenly chirpy, expression bright and inviting from what the visor didn’t hide, unlike the stoic glare he assumed he had been under.

Evidently this ‘Ira’ one, seemed to catch onto his confusion. “Tha’s Aria and Wren for yah, yah’ll get used tah it… now where tha fucks dinner?!” She suddenly snapped, but the playful smirk on what wasn’t hidden by the visor she to wore, gave away her joking intentions.

Aria… Wren… rose, striding over with wings slightly out and bouncing with the shrug of her shoulders, but with every other step, the dragging sound continued, her frame shifting to compensate for something which quickly drew a concerned albeit brief glance from the new one. “I don’t know, you ask me? Who’s been the one stuck trying to bandage up this stupid fool for the last four hours? Surely it’s not such a complicated task that the ‘tech prodigy’ couldn’t figure out how to cut a piece of crystal without a written instruction manual?” There was the cold tone again, tipped with a mocking edge as they drew closer, and the sudden size difference became blatantly apparent.

The Monochrome one was easily twice the size of this new one in all parameters, having to actually hunch and weave between the larger crystals to prevent any significant head injury.

Ira huffed, unfolding her own wings and managing to rest the second joints onto her hips, the metal plating there was dotted here and there with strategically placed spikes, as was the rest of her form it seemed.

“Ok then, yah tell me how ahm supposed to keep Kia from turning it inta another of her suicidal competitions?!”

“Oh! That’s simple! You send her out to find a very rare species of something to add to the mix! Plant or animal doesn’t matter! Then, pray you’re done before she get’s back!” The chipper one again.

Jamerson carefully pushed himself up into a seating position, watching on as the two drastically different metal bird… lady… things, became more and more animated in their jovial argument, the monochrome seeming to switch between personalities every time then went to respond.

“Ok then! Second problem! Yah tha only one here who knows how tah cook anything beyond ah microwave dinner!” 

“And who’s fault is that?! Mrs, rely on your roommates for your every whim and need?” 

Ira instead of verbally responding, tucked the second joints of her wings up against the underside of her head, and pouted.

“Pwwwweeeeeaaaassseeee?”

The monochrome one caved, letting off an exasperated sigh as she slumped, before regarding the other with a warm smile. “Oh fine! Stop giving us that look! But you have to watch the human! His names Jamerson!” 

With that she was ducking to get through the doorway towards another area.

He tried to push himself further back into the nest as this new one, Ira, approached, a wide, dangerous almost smile, more predatory grin blossoming on her features as her wings stretched out, blocking the rest of the cave from view, showing off the cream, brown and black metal flight feathers.

“My… my… yah ah cutie… but, not mah type.” She announced, actually stepping into the nest now, revealing the massive metal talons which adorned her feet, each one easily able to smash clean through his skull as they shifted to adapt to the equally shifting surface of the nest as branches and other matter was simply crushed under the metal beings weight.

Then, she was settling down, it was an unnatural motion for the human male to see, her legs tucking up under herself, being hidden away by her wings as they folded in. It left her head hovering at most a foot away from him.

His jaw was still hanging down.

She scoffed at this, wing unfurling slightly and offered the second join to him. “Ira, Ira Halloran, pleasure to make you acquaintance, fun fact, las’ name means ‘Stranger from across the sea’”

He tentatively reached out and grasped the brownish orange metal there. “Jamerson… Jamerson Grant. What… what are you?” 

She smirked. “Oh… ahm many thin’s… but most recently I added ‘Giant metal Harpy’ tah tha list… used tah be ah human like yah, yah know.” She had a twang he noticed, Irish, he should of guessed from her surname. 

That was a bit of a surprise. “How… how did this happen to you?” 

Ira shrugged. “Don’ know, one minute ahm catchin’ tha keys tah one of mah cars in mah Penthouse apartmen’ in Italy tha’ my friend tossed at me, next thin’ ah know, ahm in some forest in Germany in this body with ah splittin’ headache.” She responded, pulling her wing back to her side, tilting her head to the side. “Now, yah turn, wha’ tha high hell is ah CIA agent doing smack dab in tha middle of tha Amazon?” 

Jamerson gulped, could he really trust these… women? With his reasoning for being here? 

She apparently deemed it unworthy for her time with a shrug, rising again with a mumbled curse. “Ehh, ain’t mah job tah interroga’e. Look, how abou’ this? When yah all healed and we boot yah out back to yah camp, yah don’t say anythin’ about us being here, and we won’ tell tha world wha’ yah were doing here, and trust me, we can oh, oh so easily do that.” The way she acted so nonchalant about that whole statement put the man further on edge.

She noticed, he half imagined her raising an eyebrow, or whatever she had as an equivalent behind that visor of hers as a smug smirk formed on her metal lips. 

“You gonna say anything? If not, I’m leavin’ yah here.” 

“I’m… I‘m struggling to get my head around all of this.” He responded, reaching up to rub at his temples and wincing as he discovered a very tender wound there which had a leaf stuck to it, probably with his own blood knowing his string of bad luck.

She puffed herself up with a roll of her wings. “Fine, ah’ll leave yah tah your own devices then, don’ move, Arien’ll have mah helm if she see’s yah moving around.” 

With that, she was out of the room, making her way swiftly into the main area of the sprawling, energon rich cave they had made their own.

She spotted Arien by the little… preparation station they set up, they were currently trying to dice up a few pieces of the energon they’d discovered growing in this massive cave system.

Already, the cut out which they used as a table was piled high of fruits, plant matter, and a healthy amount of carcases.

Heavy beating quickly drew both the Harpies attention to their final member, as Kia came careening down from the crack in the earth that the cave had slowly become, down along the water fall which left a river running through their makeshift home.

Clasped in each talon, a dead howler monkey.

“Got more!” The dark, light brown and cream femme shouted, redish pink faceplates spread wide as her equally bright talons hit the ground.

Arien’s helm tilted to the side, examining the newest kills. “That’s enough monkeys Kia, I would rather not have you wiping out the local population.” Wren spoke, turning back to her work as her right wing swept out, easily lifting up the now dropped corpses.

With a practiced flick, the two monkey’s bodies landed on the table, atop the already large pile.

Kia nodded, straightening up and approaching the two Harpies. “So, how long? All this flyin’ arounds got me famished.”

Arien gestured with her wing to what she was doing.

Attached to her front, was Hera, the young Harpy Eagle had, along with Keeley and Nibbler, joined their caretaker’s in the realm of metal, dare they say Cybertronian bodies.

It had been a few weeks ago the group of seven had discovered something.

Their beloved birds acted akin to Minicons, attaching to their frames, be it back or front, with the latter having the advantage of their bodies effectively becoming arms which, after a good deal of practice from all parties, could be used to a similar degree to the three femmes former organic limbs, before their own became very limited in their functionality.

“‘Bout twenty minutes… and we should be ready…” Aria announced, a frown on her lipplates as Hera carefully continued to slice one of the fruits with a knife Nibbler had pilfered from somewhere they didn’t care to look into.

Kia nodded whilst Ira let off an irritated sound, moving over to sit on one of the boulders which they’d left there as makeshift seating. [So, what tha hell we suppos’ tah do with tha little twerp?] Ira questioned, switching to Gaelic just in case the human found a way to clamber out of Arien’s nest and try and listen into their conversation.

{No fucking clue, Arien? What do you propose?} Kia enquired, following suit by switching to Spanish.

Arien just shrugged. (I don’t know, take him back to his camp at the dead of night at some point over the next few days…? It’s too bright now, his group would spot us easily.) Wren responded, easily switching to French.

The three Harpies all exchanged a look of agreement.

[So… how much do we tell him?]

(Very little, not that we know much ourselves, but anything beyond our names must be kept hidden, it’s obvious the Triage doesn’t exist here… again proving we’re on an alternative Earth.) Wren then announced, glancing over her shoulder plates at Ira and Kia. 

Kia hummed, shifting to lean against the wall of the cutting Airen had turned into their kitchen. {You mentioned CIA, what else did yah get from him? If he’s dangerous, say the word and I’ll get rid of him.} She announced, wing flicking out, the momentum revealing the sharp scythe like blades hidden within the metallic feathers there, all whilst an almost gleeful grin formed on her lipplates. Arien and Ira knew better though, knew there was a pot of aggression within their close friend which was close to boiling over at the mere notion of such a human being within such close proximity.

Arien shook her helm. (No need, he’s a rookie, it’s his first mission, he’d be more useful to us alive than as a corpse Kia… blades away.) Wren stated firmly.

Kia was quick but reluctant to oblige, tucking the serrated edges away back under her feathers. {By that I’m guessing you want to… gain influence here?} There was no real point even asking really, they knew each other too well to genuinely need to question it.

Of course Arien wanting to regain control of her domain, just as Kia was already itching to regain control of hers and the same with Ira.

However, they had found themselves stuck, they had no idea of how to return to their own world, to their thirds of the Triage.

Arien snorted. (If I can use him to gain access to the CIA, then I’m going to use him, all I need is to get ahold of all those juicy secrets…) The unmistakeable sound of a low purr echoed from the femme then, Hera even bringing down the knife of one of the monkey’s necks with a definitive strike to emphasise the point.

Ira chuckled. [Then it’s settled… little Jamerson’s gonna be our first stepping stone, back to power...]

* * *

Once the hodge podge meal was ready, Ira was sent to go and collect their new human, hopefully temporary, companion from his place laying bored to the point of blowing spit bubbles like a child in Arien’s nest.

She came back out, with Keeley attached to her own front, and one of the talon tipped wing/arm things their bird companions became, had Jamerson hanging by his undamaged ankle.

“He said he didn’t want to eat a monkey.”

Kia snorted from where she was already visor deep in her own wooden bowl, making a mess of herself just to spite Nibbler who was trying to steal some of her food.

Arien was having no such problem with Hera, and so, leveled what the human could only imagine as a odd mix of irritation and something else he couldn’t place with just her lips visible.

“Once again! Our beloved Ira proves why she is not allowed within twenty metres of any human below the age of sixteen!” The largest of the group announced, wing flaring out slightly to gesture towards the smallest, whom was quick to respond.

“Hey! It ain’ mah damn faul’ they’re all heathens!” 

Kia completely ignored the two.

“Yes but Jamerson here is clearly not a screaming infant, so you can carry him with dignity… or at least whatever is left of his… So give him here.” Wren ordered, wing stretching out and feathers curling to direct where she wanted Ira to place the man.

With a huff, the smaller redish orange femme obliged, dropping him into the other Harpies grasp where he was quickly whisked away from her reach and deposited onto the monochrome femmes lap.

In return, Ira’s bowl was half passed, half tossed at her, resulting in some of the contents ending up on the cave floor.

“Hey! Wha’s tha big idea?!”

Arien popped a chunk of Capuchin into her mouth, now completely ignoring the fuming femme.

Jamerson just switched his attention between the three, trying to understand anything to do with the current situation. “Can I get an explanation of some sort about all this?”

Kia lifted her head up from her bowl, one wing blocking Nibbler from it and the other still holding the bowl to her mouth, which was likely a skill brought forth by multiple previous attempts, but the scowl on her features was directed solely at him. “Can’t help yah there, we ain’t got no fucking clue what’s going on either.” There was an irritated ring in her voice, a hispanic accent easily made out.

He turned his gaze up to Arien just as she craned hers down, making him feel a little bit uncomfortable at how much longer her neck was in proportion to a normal human.

Not that they were anything close to human.

“We woke up here, Kia found herself in Zimbabwe, and Ira over there woke up in a forest in northern Germany. We were humans before that, we each experienced a flash of light, a burning sensation, and then us and our birds were here… and we were metal birds.” Aria stated, before having Hera reach into her own bowl and pick out a few pieces of sliced fruit to give to the human.

He gratefully took the pieces, having not eaten since the night before, and quickly shoveled them in, akin to what Kia had returned to doing.

“Oh terrific, now we’ve got two trying to choke themselves on their meals.” Wren muttered, left wing snapping out and getting Kia hard in the back just as something began going down the wrong way. “Breathe you imbeciles, myself and Ira are not performing mouth to fucking mouth.” She growled.

Kia completely ignored the warning outside a thankful nod, Jamerson took the warning to heed.

Ira apparently noticed, a bowl half raised to her mouth with Keeley’s help. “Bloody heck, at least one of them has ah functioning brain when it comes to food.” She half whispered, before pulling the bowl to her lips and slurping down the liquid cocktail of organic and mammalian juices which had pooled at the bottom before biting at the side of the bowl to pull as much of the contents into her own waiting mouth.

Kia shot a glare at Ira, saying something likely as a retort, but about as understandable as someone gargling gravel due to the amount currently in the dark brown femmes mouth.

Instead, a wing was flicked up,then something strange happened, the majority of the feathers curled, making a bowl like shape, whilst the middle of the large array remained upright.

Aria chuckled then. “A bird giving the bird, I’ve seen fucking everything.” 

Kia, by her nature of trying to inhale her food, finished first, finally leaving the scraps stuck to the bowl to Nibbler, much to the smaller Bateleur’s delight and irritation at having failed to garner more spoils from the larger former human.

Completely ignoring Nibbler, Kia strode over to Arien, lowering herself down at the hips to get her first good look at the human. “What the hell you doing this far from the US. Don’t you fucking try and cover up anything either, I can spot a lying piece of trash in Texas from Florida.” She hissed.

Was it not for the fact the Planet's circumference was against her, he would of believed the exaggeration. Not that he didn’t fully understand the underlying threat, the talons on her red feet could easily crush his skull like a hydraulic press could crush a watermelon. 

He was probably going to be fired if his superiors ever found out about this, but he’d rather be alive and jobless than just outright dead. “We’re looking for a suspected cocaine factory… to try and decrease the amount getting into the USA.” 

Ira let off a muffled curse, attention off her food and focused on the human the the Bateleur femme. 

Hera’s talons gripped onto the human, pulling him back closer to Arien’s mid section.

The reason, in all of half a second, Kia’s lower faceplates had morphed into a vicious snarl. “You gotta be fucking kiddin’ me Amigo. Well ain’t yah fuckin’ wastin’ yah time here! There’s a thousand slagging things your stupid government could be doin’ that ain’t gotta do with that pansy of a wil’ goose chase tha’s only ever gonna make tha whole fuckin’ problem worse! Healthcare! Decent educations! Ending the fuckin’ Iraq war! Stopping the housi-”

“KIA!” Wren shouted, the sudden cry echoing throughout the glowing blue cave, cutting off the Bateluer’s rant. “Two thousand and  _ five _ .” She pressed, especially stressing the last number with a strained bow and tilt of her helm.

Kia paused to let the year sink in before letting off an understanding sound. “Ah… right… forget that last one.” But then her irritation came back full force. “It’s Culero’s like you that give me such a fuckin’ headache, all you sunglass wearin’, egotistical, law bashin’ sons of…. no, I’m not gonna give even one ah yah the satisfaction of seein’ me pissed, Arien, I want this ass outta our home by tomorrow night! Screw injuries, I ain’t havin’ no MIB, in unifrom or not, anywhere fuckin’ near me!” She snarled, before stormed away and taking to the air, flying up through one of the crags further along the cave.

Nothing was said for a good minute before Aria let of a distressed sigh, wing lifting up to rub at her face. “Ah hell… there’s no way she’s gonna listen to reason until you’re gone now… fuck.” 

Ira snorted, Keeley popped another chunk of meat into her mouth. “Don’t go star’ beatin’ yahself up over it. Yah didn’t know how she was gonna react.”

Arien just growled lower, Wren snapping back a retort. “We are fully allowed to berate ourselves for failing to connect such obvious fucking dots.” She hissed back.

Hera grabbed up the man in Arien’s lap, and the femme stormed back to their room, the limp still there, still that dragging noise he’d yet to locate beyond the fact it had to do with their right leg, kicking the log door shut behind them with a harsh kick and a hissed growl.

They must of switched over however, because Jamerson was then gently placed down into the expansive nest, and a blanket from the heavens knew where, was pulled out from between some of the sticks and offered to him.

“It get’s cold here at night.” He was right, Aria.

But he didn’t lie down like the wave of surprisingly soft, fibrous metal feathers told him to, suggesting he rest.

He was too awake for that.

Kia’s outburst had left him with even more questions.

Arien stepped away from the nest then, moving to perch instead on a bolder they’d sliced the top off to make a flat surface.

“You’re not from the present are you?” It was a notion which had only come to his mind at Wren’s interruption of Kia’s rant.

A jubilant chuckle was his answer. “Guess we weren’t quick enough to cover up that little slip?”

“No, when are you from then? How far in the future?”

“Pfft, only twelve years, nothing to write home about. We’re stuck here, and unless some unknown higher power changes their mind, something tells me... that ain’t gonna change.” 

“A lot can happen in twelve years.” Jamerson responded, trying to move so that he could pull himself up the side of the nest without aggravating something, they must of put something on his leg to numb the pain, but what, and a whole load of other similar questions were set aside for now.

Evidently, they heard his struggle, and came to the conclusion the man wasn’t going to settle to aid in the recovery of his injuries. He’d managed to pull his torso upright when their wing stretched out, the metal feathers easily coaxing him away from the wall and up into the air.

Then, Arien returned to their spot on the boulder, right wing hooked to create an almost hammock like structure before he was slid back to his previous position against their midsection, and the strange, lanky appendages which he’d realised where the Harpies companions… only, in an alternate form, wrapped around him instead as the Harpies wings all but went limp, the weight of them pushing the limbs out, covering a good deal of the floor, at somepoint passing over a few random clusters of those glowing blue crystals.

He’d seen them in the three Harpies bowls, seem them eat them. “What are those crystals? Some weird type of Quartz?” 

The sound of grinding gears and an half swallowed laugh followed, he guessed it was Aria, but she sounded more like a dying engine than either of them.

Wren answered, cutting off the odd sound. “No, they’re… they’re a crystalised form of energy… we have them in our Universe too, called Energon.” 

**(Wren… really?)**

**(Oh hush, he’d only have more questions if we made it seem like it only exists here.)**

**(You said Universe, not time period, you’ve closed one branch of questions and opened another in the process.)**

**(Shit.)**

“Universe?” Jamerson called up, proving the persona’s point.

**(Told ya.)**

“Universe? Ah! Sorry, my heads always stuck in Sci-fi, I meant country… how my side of my head translated that to the entirety of existence… I don’t know! Now, off to bed with you! Rest much and don’t toss around too much!” Wren then rambled, trying to force a smile on their faceplates to try and convince him whilst quickly putting him back in the nest, pulling the blanket back over him before settling down on the boulder again.

**(Now if only we had a pillow for yah to scream into.)**

**(Better, I can do it in here.)**

**(Fuck...)**

* * *

Back in the main cavern

Ira huffed, Keeley swinging the bowl around on one of her talons by it’s lip.

Heavy beating broke the near silence as Kia returned. 

Ira watched the Bateleur land, rattling her armour with a shake and a stretch of each leg. “Needed that.” Kia muttered, rolling her shoulders as she strode back over to their little seating area.

Ira raised an eye-ridge behind her visor, twitching only slightly as the top right piece on her helm bounced along with the motion before settling back down.

They were all still trying to get used to that. “What poor plant life got mauled this time?”

Kia paused for a moment, having been reaching down for the bowl she’d tossed aside during her rant. “Couple of bushes, nothing major.” 

Ira just hummed, craning her helm out towards the larger, primarily dark brown femme. “How many.”

“Four.”

“I ain’t talkin’ ‘bout no bushes.”

“I know… seven…. Boulders…”

Ira huffed and returned to her previous position, before deciding against it, pushing off, and walking further into the cave towards the area she’d made her own. “Just don’t murder the guy in his sleep, ok? We ain’t in our universe anymore, these ain’t the same CIA we got. Besides, we need him, we’ve only been able to do so much from here. Once Arien gets into the US secure data banks, we’ll know for certain if their hindin’ the Allspark or not.” 

Kia easily picked up on the extra spring in Ira’s step that came at the notion as it played around in the smallest femmes helm.

All of them had been hoping for it, their new bodies matched the Bayverse style, though the blue energon crystals had made them question if they were instead in the Primeverse.

Honestly, they weren’t gonna complain if it was one and not the other.

They had all decided not to get their hopes too high though, after much insistence by Wren, they were in 2005, for all they knew they they were in the Animatedverse, seeing what the Autobots and Decepticons looked like in the body style they themselves found themselves in would be entertaining if not jarring. Though if that was the case, they had to wait a good fifty years minimum to see if that was the case.

There were really just too many questions flying around at present, so, ignoring them until they had more information seemed like their best bet.

Kia let the reminder soothe what remained of her mostly spent temper, yes she had a deep seated… dislike… for the CIA and other such organisations, but, at present this little rookie Hera had chanced upon, was more useful to them alive than dead.

Nibbler’s irritated call from his perch a little way down into the cave system drew Kia from her musings. “Alright, alright, I’m coming yah overgrown feather duster.”

A faux bite from the Bateleurs hooked beak near the side of her helm was his response when she allowed him to hop up onto her shoulder plating. 

“Why didn’t I just go for that damn Golden Eagle…”

She knew why, her brother had called dibs on the thing before she’d even made it back home from a meeting with a few of her primary underlings.

The damned spoiled rat had stolen the bird away to his room before anyone could stop him.

She’d been beyond irate at the time, but had grown used to the Snake Killer she named Nibbler, after her favourite little alien from Futurama.

Given the fact the bird had an apparent passion for stealing all of her food, or trying to eat anything he saw move.

Which is why Kia knew to lean away from Nibbler when he suddenly lunged off her shoulder and pounced on something darting through the dark further down in the cave close to Ira’s area.

A faint pained squeak and Nibbler was already digging into his meal.

Continuing on, Kia listened out for when Nibbler started to follow after her, his metal talons clanging and scraping along the uneven stone much like her own far larger ones were as she moved to pull her own makeshift log door open by wedging her right wing in the gap between it and the cave wall and yanking.

“Alright Nibbler, tomorrow, we begin our journey back to the top.”

An excited call came right back as Nibbler flapped past her, aiming for his perch just to the left of her nest.

One thing she certainly was happy about with this change, was how much brighter their birds were now, they’d managed to get a lot more done around the cave with their companions actually understanding in detail what needed to be done.

It was how Hera found Jamerson in the first place, out hunting for ‘anything useful’.

With that thought, she settled down, content to rest after all the flying she’d performed the last few hours.

* * *

Kia top left, Ira top right, Aria and Wren bottom


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok, this is a kinda intermediate chapter, this was just mostly to show what the Harpies planned to do, big time skip coming next chapter to the begining of the first movie. Hopefully the next chapter will come sooner, but, with the fact I'm going off to the Uni I wanted, that might not be possible, oh well, until next time!

**Chapter 3**

It was a few days later that Jamerson found himself being carried back towards his camp by Hera, the massive Adolescent Harpy Eagle easily carrying the healing man in her talons.

He spotted the tell tale sight of smoke on the horizon which came from the camp, feeling an odd sense of apprehension in returning to a camp that had likely already written him off as dead.

He honestly didn’t blame them, were it not for Hera finding him, something that in itself would be instantly slated as impossible, he would be something’s meal, be it a nest of Bullet ants, or whatever Predator that had scared him out of the camp in a panic to begin with.

He’d be carted off to an insane asylum if he started rambling and raving about just Hera, the giant metal Harpy Eagle who’d snatched him off them ground in the dead of night, whisking him to the aid of the, albeit mostly reluctant, Harpies.

Strange women from a parallel future who’d wound up stuck on his Earth as giant robotic birds.

Anything from the last few days would either get him tossed in a padded cell, or written off as suffering from hallucinogens from some plant or animal he’d come in contact with.

He’d decided to heed Ira’s advice, keep his trap shut about the seven mechanical beings hiding out in a giant cave system, and just tell the rest of camp that he’d climbed a tree until he felt comfortable enough to come down and make the journey back.

Being believed aside, there was no way he was going to be sticking around, Wren had stated quite frankly that his broken leg, regardless of it being set and splinted, meant he was going to be shipped back to the US.

Didn’t mean he wasn’t going to give his ‘self acquired’ intel that he’d ‘gathered’ whilst stuck up in that non existent tree.

Ira, claiming that she was bored out of her mind  three days ago, had taken off, and returned a good three hours later, stating that she’d located the objective, a large illegal drug farm and preparation area, due North West of his camp by fifteen miles.

They apparently had quite the bonfire going so he was going to use that to explain how he’d seen it from up a tree in the middle of nowhere.

In the time he’d spent there, he’d also learnt another thing, what was causing that scrapping racket whenever Arien carried him anywhere, or just walked about.

Aria had actually given him the whole story, Wren not interrupting once during, for whatever reason he had decided not to pry for.

Around a month after they’d arrived, during the outfitting off their makeshift home, Arien’s foot, they called it a pede for some reason, had fallen victim to a very nasty landing, when they were still getting used to the fact that they could fly.

They had flown a good distance and located a small logging station, in their attempt to be left unspotted, they’d chosen to land, dropping out of the sky and into the rainforest below.

In their attempt to go unseen, they had fallen victim to horrifically powerful trap, a pitfall of metal rebar spikes meant to kill anything which fell within.

Due to their size however, it had only been their right leg that had fallen victim, the spikes driving through them in a multitude of different points.

The landing had also resulted in her other leg being sprained after landing on solid ground and been twisted out of place by the rest of their body continuing down into the deep trap, add to that the fact their head got smashed against a boulder, knocking them unconscious before the pain registered.

Hera, having gone unharmed, had detached from her position on Arien’s front, and taken to the air to bring Ira and Kia to the place of the incident.

They’d only recently managed to get walking again, flying was still out of the question, leaving Arien stuck down in their little cave maintaining it whilst Ira and Kia worked to bring back everything from food, building materials, to anything they could pilfer from nearby human camps they could find use for. The spikes had obviously damaged something vital, as the right legs talons simply dragged along the ground, causing the screeching sound, and it apparently took a lot of effort to put enough weight upon it just to take the next step without falling over.

A cry from Hera snapped Jamerson from his thoughts as the metal Eagle finally began her decent, gliding seamlessly between the thick foliage and down to the forest floor, setting him down before, with a few final quick flaps, she landed beside him.

Wide sea green eyes then turned to him, she’s was about his height as they began to walk the final distance, her head bobbing just over his own as he used her for support, she’d be with him until the path, then she’d be gone.

Hera was, if he was being honest, the most welcoming to him of the group, an adolescent of her former kind, she was clearly curious about him, being hand reared left her a bit apart from Keeley and Nibber, who kept back along with their trainers.

That being said, the number of times he’d had to pass on her ‘gifts’ to Arien, was quite high.

He honestly wasn’t a fan of mauled monkey.

Hera let off a little trilling gurgle, bumping her closed beak into his shoulder, being careful of the lethal blades the beak was made of.

He patted her side, but she just turned and gestured to what was already before them, the path.

Without even realising it, his free hand went down, burying into the pocket of the baggy trousers he’d had to wear solidly for over a week, he ignored the grimy feeling, instead wrapping his hand around the small device Aria had given him.

‘A storage device, I had it on me when we came, I don’t have any use for it… and given the date being December 11th, consider it a Christmas Present’.

It was a flash drive, small, but with one hundred and twenty eight gigabytes worth of data, unheard of to him, the most present devices had were eight.

It said something about the future of technology.

He turned to Hera again, only to find her gone, the sound of beating wings barely caught before she disappeared from audible range.

That was it then… turning back, he continued on towards the camp, letting off shouts to try and get the attention of his fellow agents or the locals helping their group.

They came almost immediately, taking in his state before rushing him back to camp, his senior officer already getting his 4×4 ready to get Jamerson out of the jungle.

He was able to get them to stop long enough to tell them about their targets location, before he was promptly whisked away.

Hera watched on as Jamerson was placed within the back of the truck, watched until it raced out of sight, and, from her little hiding spot she’d found a few nights prior on a scouting trip, watched as the camp returned to it’s previous activity.

She stayed there for a few more minutes until all of the humans returned to their tents to continue working, and now, preparing to the launch their assault on their target, or at least, try and locate it from the description that Jamerson had given.

Taking back off into the air, she shot between the thick trunks and hanging vines, rounded wings barely making a sound as she spun through the air, playing a little before she returned to Aria and Wren.

When Hera returned, she settled down upon one of the branches of a fallen tree the Harpies had managed to bring down and prop up for herself and her compadres.

Nibbler and Keeley were already waiting for her.

~Ah, the triumphant filth carrier has returned.~ Keeley trilled, shooting the far larger Harpy Eagle a scathing look.

Hera puffed up in indignation. ~Silence yourself Keeley, it was a vital task that only I had the lifting capacity to complete.~ Hera shot back with a snap of her beak and slight rising of her wings in challenge.

Nibbler, who’d been living up to his name gnawing on a thigh bone of some indiscriminate creature, looked up and regarded the squabbling females. ~Both of you shut it, Keeley, stop trying to rile up Hera, Hera, get that bone out of your cloaca, you’re really starting to sound like Wren.~ He huffed.

Hera snorted but settled back down. ~I can’t help it, I for one, liked Jamerson, he was friendly enough to be tolerable.~

~He stank.~ Nibbler shot back, remembering how foul the human had started to smell by the time that Hera swept him away.

~Alright, I’ll give you that, but that was only because Aria didn’t want to take him out to the waterfall, logs have fallen down that into the cave.~ Hera admitted, her point proven by the sound of something heavy crashing down into the plunge pool at the bottom of the waterfall which flowed in from the entrance.

~You forget that Kia hates his kind with a vengeance.~ Nibbler then added.

Keeley piped up then, had her face the capacity, she would of been smirking. ~My, my, you didn’t even insult her then!~

~Prolonged contact has forced me to adapt more, before this mess, I barely saw her every few days because of her work, now, I rarely get time away from her.~

Hera nudged him slightly with her wing. ~You are the only thing she really has left of her old life.~

Keeley slumped slightly. ~We all are… it’s weird… now that we’re so much smarter… we can understand them a lot more… a lot of things suddenly make sense…~

Their conversation was suddenly cut off by familiar music blasting out from Arien’s area.

Hera chuckled over the sudden deafening din, to any other it would of sounded like an extremely loud screech. ~Guess someone had a eureka moment!~

~WHAT?! I CAN’T HEAR YOU OVER THE NOISE?!~Keeley shouted back, getting even louder.

**~STOP SHOUTING BOTH OF YOU! YOU’RE GIVING ME A HEADACHE!~** Nibbler then screeched, trying to be heard over the now even louder music.

It had gotten so loud they didn’t even hear as Ira and Kia ran towards Arien’s area, even the ground shaking impacts that their movements caused, dulled by the sheer pounding music's own soundwaves.

Ira reached Arien first, the largest of the group had the biggest grin on their face as their shoulder was yanked to turn them towards the other two, the speakers hidden away under their back struts platting still pounding out ‘Born this way’ by Lady Gaga, one of the songs on their playlists which had somehow transferred into her helm when they wound up in this reality.

The song cut off, and the smug smirk remained. “Guess what I got into?” It was practically a whisper, inaudible to the other two Harpies whose audios were still pounding in response to the deafening dubstep remix which had just been blasting through the cave.

“WHAT?!”

“THA HELL YAH SAY?!

Aria started giggling, lifting their wings up to hide the massive grin now on their faceplates.

“YAH DID THA ON PURPOSE!” Ira was fuming, rubbing at her helm attachments with her wing joints, trying to rub away some of the ringing sensation.

“Eh, had to get your attention somehow.” Aria chirped, rolling their shoulderplates.

Kia apparently heard Aria well enough. “Well then, what did you find that it was so important you had to try and deafen us?”

Aria smirked, handing over to Wren who began projecting an image on their visor, causing the previously black glass to light up, revealing familiar documents. “A certain Air Force One flew within range long enough for me to snatch these, I had only a few seconds, so I don’t have the whole document though.” Wren announced, bringing up her right wing to rub at her chin.

Ira was practically pressing their visors together a moment later, the colour draining from the black glass to allow her primarily blue optics to take in what she was seeing.

All she needed to see were the words ‘Captain Archibald Witwicky’, and the smallest Harpy was jumping up and down with elated screeches, practically lunging at Kia to try and trap the Bateleur within her wings. “BAYVERSE~! BAYVERSE~! BAYVERSE~!” She sing-songed, as her excitement continued to come flooding out.

Kia however, remained firm, and somehow upright despite the fact that Ira was trying to use her as a stripper pole or something along those lines. “Now what? We know which reality we’re in, what course of action do you think is the best to take?” Kia enquired, managing to fold her wings in the closest thing to crossed arms their limbs could form, whilst Ira was still using her to spin around akin to a lamppost.

Wren paused then, letting off a low humm.

Ira however, needed no such moment of thought. “Ain’ it obvious! We get tha cube and leave no S7 lackey standin’!” She trilled, somehow having placed herself precariously on Kia’s left shoulderplate, the only point of contact being the line of armour plating which ran down all of their fronts, her wings and tail feathers twitching to maintain her position.

She got an irritated look for her troubles from Arien. “We’re not killing anyone. Instead. We’re going to do this right, we don’t want to make a PR mess for the Autobots to face the moment they land.” Aria announced, deactivating their visor so it returned to its pitch black state.

Kia seemed a bit put off by the statement, but nodded regardless. “Then we need to prepare, we need to get to the USA and establish an area of operation, cause flyin’’ from here to wherever we’re gonna be ain’ gonna work amigos.” She continued.

Arien huffed, turning their gaze down at their mangled pede. “I agree, that many landings have a high risk of doing more damage… I can hold the fort here until you locate a safe place to stay, preferably one with an energon source like this one, then we can move out of here.”

Ira sighed, sliding off Kia. “Pity, I like this place… maybe we keep it as ah hideout, tha humans would certainly have a hard time finding us here if we stick aroun’ long enough for everything tah go tah shit.” She followed up, glancing around at the energon rich cave.

Noises of agreement left the other three Harpies, Kia being the one to speak next. “Well then, look’s like we’ve got a lot to prepare.”

Wren spoke then. “But, we wait until Jamerson’s used the drive and I have full access, from there, Ira, you can hotwire some satellites to project signals here, that way we’ll have a stable link to make the most of. Right?” She enquired to the smallest of their group.

Ira snorted and stretched her wings up, the tips having to curl back to avoid hitting the ceiling. “Hon’, I could do tha’ with mah toes! Blindfolded!.” She remarked. Then her chassis puffed up and she struck a pose. “Yah are speaking to the Queen of Tech, if I can’ do somethin’, no one ever will.”

Arien smirked. “Don’t you mean Talons?” Wren corrected.

“Pfft, wha’ever, yah know wha ah mean. I’ll get us in, no sweat.”

Kia watched on as the two fell into their usual habit of joyful bickering.

It ended when Aria had risen from her seat to try and whack Ira more effectively with their wing, the sudden shift was too much for her pede and it collapsed again, leaving them to crash against the wall that she had been sitting against with a pained groan.

The previous humour died instantly as Ira rushed to help prop Arien back up, muttering a curse and apology for what had happened.

Kia was too focused on glaring at the mangled limb.

Unbeknownst to Arien and Ira, Kia had found the ones who’d left that trap.

It had taken a long time to wash away the smell of copper from the blades tucked away at the ends of her wings.

Now, however, her thoughts were not on the headless corpses she’d buried, or the heads she’d tossed to the Piranha's. “What should be a top priority, is getting a professional look at that thing.” Kia remarked.

It didn’t need to be said that there was only one potential professional that would work in this case, but in the meantime, they’d have to find someone who could help.

* * *

Two months later, Washington, Pentagon

“Mr Jamerson, good to see you recovered.” Jamerson spun in his just sat in chair, finding his boss, and father, standing there. “That Drug bust went off without a hitch, we’re proud of you. Surviving like that, truly a testament to your survivors training.”

Jamerson floundered for a moment, before remembering this wasn’t his father when they were at work, his father had already said all of this by his hospital bed over six weeks prior.

This was for the ears of his co-workers.

“Thank you sir. But really, it was by chance that I saw their operation from where I was hiding.” A flash of his memories from that time came back and he gave a slightly nervous laugh. “I’m just glad I didn’t pick the tree of a nesting Harpy Eagle, they’d have had me for breakfast.” He remarked, shuddering slightly at the memory of Hera’s talons alone, the Harpies would of easily of killed him with their own if they wanted to.

Yet they hadn’t, Arien had done what they could with their limited resources and dexterity to patch him up and get him back to the camp when they deemed him fit enough.

Kia and Ira he wasn’t so sure about, Kia had been volatile, angry even at the fact he was CIA, Ira… there was just something about how she cackled at anything she deemed funny, how she vocally toyed with concepts of surviving a Nuclear winter now that their bodies technically couldn’t suffer from radiation the same way a human could… that gave him a strong reason to feel on edge around her.

Even Wren on her own was difficult to get accustomed to, Aria tried to be as accommodating as possible, but with her reassurances always being cut up with snark, cold remarks, the effect was somewhat lessened when Wren found herself in a particularly bad mood over something.

Normally relating to their injury giving way again, it had happened a few times, but the narrow confines always meant they had something to catch themselves on.

“Jamerson. Jamerson!” The shout of his name jolted him back out of the present, his attention drawn back to his father.

“Yes sir?”

“A new memory stick? Surely your old one still has some space on it.”

The remark was so out of left field he had to run it back through his head again before he even realised he’d pulled the memory stick that Aria had given him out of his pocket and began thumbing the device, it had a push switch on the side, sliding out the tip and then back in.

“Err, yeah, my old one ended up stacked up with hospital documents.”

“Has it been screened yet?”

Protocol, all devices had to be screened for bugs.

“N-no… I’ll go do that, sorry, I’ve been stuck in the hospital so long…”

His father’s hand coming down on his shoulder stopped his ramblings, further silenced by the pair of crutches his father then passed to him.

“Go get it screened, then, get to work, and remember, your mother's cooking us all a big ol’ bird for a celebratory ‘first day back at work after traumatic injury’ meal.” With that, the man excused himself, and walked away back to his own group of equally ranked officials.

* * *

Two hours later

Jamerson sighed, dropping his crutches back to the ground as his weight was fully taken by his chair, grumbling he drew the memory drive, it was completely clean, yet it had taken the tech heads well over an hour to stop freaking out about the storage capacity, he’d forgotten it could hold sixteen times the normal amount currently on the market.

It had raised some serious questions, which he’d simply answered with the fact that it had been a gift from someone who had helped him out a few months prior, they’d bought it, thankfully, the rest of the questions had hardly been directed at him, but they didn’t let him leave either, nor offer a chair, too enamoured with trying to persuade him to just let them crack it open, and try and pry from him whom he’d gotten it from.

A ‘friend’, one who didn’t want to be hassled.

Finally it had ended, and he’d returned to his desk, drive ready to go and his monitor already logged in.

For the foreseeable future his busted leg was gonna be keeping him on desk duty until he could return to tip-top shape.

He expected it after the doctors had told him not to get his hopes up about returning to the field for a long time, his leg had multiple fractures, some bone fragments had even separated and had to be surgically put back in place in the hope of the bone mending itself.

Deciding to stop thinking about his impediment, he drew the little device, and plugged it in.

Hidden away within the inner workings of the device, a small circuit board connected to the main motherboard, and like a venomous snake bringing it’s fangs down on prey, delivered it’s hidden package.

It took mere moments for the virus to spread, jumping from one computer to the next like a wildfire.

The effects went completely unnoticed, despite its ferocity, there was nothing advanced enough to detect it.

Only four beings noticed as the virus copied everything, transmitting it all directly to them in a heavy stream of information.

Hidden deep in the Amazon, Arien couldn’t have stopped the gleeful grin that overcame their features even if they wished to stop it.

“Oh girls…~ We’re in.~” Aria practically purred, already sifting through all the information pouring through the digital stream being transmitted directly to them.

Ira pushed herself up with a snigger. “It’s abou’ fraggin’ time.”

Kia merely let a smug smirk form on her features. “Guess that piece of trash was worth something after all. Sorry for doubting you Aria, Wren.”

Ira huffed and spun on Kia. “Wha’ am I? Chopped T-cog?! Ah made tha’ damn device!”

A wing coming to rest on her shoulder stopped her from potentially ranting further.

Aria beamed at the smallest Harpy, visor draining of colour to reveal the optics beyond, ones which radiated a sense of gratitude that only Aria expressed freely. “Thank you, sister.” The the visor went dark again and the smile went to a smirk. “Now, let’s get this show on the road.”

“Amen tah tha’!” Ira chirped, chassis puffing up in pride.

Kia huffed, folding her wings.  “Since when were you Christian?”

“Hey! Don’ judge! I can say whatever tha hell ah wan’!”

* * *

Concept sketches I did for Arien's anatomy a while ago, decided to post them with this chapter, they're not meant to be clean, they're just so I and now you could get an idea of what's being referred to in the fic when I describe parts of their anatomy. Also I know this is a pretty short chapter but I didn't want to stretch it out with even more filler.


	4. Chapter 4

**Fun fact! I'm at Uni now! And I don't have my drawing tablet, or any of my pieces I've done for this fic because I never thought to save them as JPEG's so I could actually open them on the laptop I took with me to the other side of the country. So... yay... Anyway, this just means I have had all the more time during freshers to write! And the pain in the ass that has been chapter 8 is finally done! (Though I'll likely add more in edits) Anyway, enough from me, on with the chapter! Hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

Qatar July 2007

The base was in chaos, humans of every military rank either strewn across the ground in burnt, bloodied messes, or trying to escape the mayhem which had descended upon them with little to no warning.

The former Helicopter, now towering goliath of mechanical carnage was tearing through the fortifications of their base, devastating their vehicles without half a thought as it approached its target.

Blackout snarled as the humans useless ammunition continued to rattle against his platting, his deployer Scorponok was already taking out the remaining humans which stayed to foolishly fight from below.

It was easy enough breaking through the roof of the base to access its main systems, despite the shouting humans within, he reached down, snatching up what he could of the computer systems, and began the download process.

Not a moment later, something raced through his systems, his spark jumped, a virus, a powerful one that had just smashed through his primary defenses with the equivalent force of a combiners kick.

His systems were already going haywire, he felt things within him as they began to work too hard, everything working at triple the necessary level, straining everything, burning through his energon reserves.

How… how did the humans have a virus this powerful?! They shouldn’t be this advanced!

Then, his vision was blocked by a message that opened itself.

A holographic image flickered into existence before his optics, a triangular shield, the crest decorated with three organic wings flaring out from the centre.

Then, it was replaced by a simple bobbing orb.

 _“Hello Blackout! Thank you for being a stupid tool and allowing our hacking prevention software to take root within your frame! You have three human minutes to leave this base before we shut you down and let you get carted off by the humans to be dissected!”_ A chirpy voice announced before the orb was replaced by a quickly dropping countdown.

He could already feel the virus working, but, as he tried to reopen the ports to access to collect the data he was seeking, he made a new discovery.

It was all gone, every scrap of data other than a painted image of an almost completely fisted servo, save for the middle digit.

Twenty seconds was already lost from the timer, the mission was a dud.

Now, it was just a matter of making sure that the voices threat didn’t come to fruition.

How had it even knew it’s designation?

He decided to question it later as he broke into a sprint away from the base, trampling a few burning husks of former vehicles, the squelch of human flesh under pede drowned out by his racing spark as he felt parts of his system run ever hotter.

The virus was going to cook him from the inside out.

His T-cog strained as his form shifted into its Helicopter form, rotors spinning far faster than usual due to the influence of the virus as he headed directly East.

He had only four seconds left when the countdown suddenly stopped, the virus all but disappearing, his form slowing.

He must have reached the exclusion zone perimeter.

His transformation was arduous, rotors straining as they folded down against his back strut, just as his pedes gave way, leaving his burning frame to collapse to the night cooled sand, had he landed in water, it would have evaporated in seconds, even now he could feel the sand beneath him beginning to liquify, turning to crude glass under his armour.

Then the shield appeared again, then was promptly replaced by a darker orb.

 _“Congratulations, you’re alive, which means I won mine and my sisters bet. Oh, and do consider that little sample, a warning. Have a_ wondrous _day you fucking piece of shit.”_ A colder, smug voice announced, before the dark orb vanished from his view along with the countdown, returning his vision entirely.

He had to warn the other Decepticons on Earth.

They’d greatly underestimated the humans defences.

* * *

Las Vegas Strip, The Cosmopolitan

The normally blinding, famous lights of the Las Vegas strip were all off, the blazing sun out shining over all as it continued its merciless assault upon the land.

Despite this, the sweat upon the brow of one woman as she stood at the main entrance of the Cosmopolitan, was not from the heat, but out of trepidation, her fingers twitching in the need to fiddle with something to calm her nerves.

Taking a deep breath, she decided to bite the bullet, she’d been half summoned, half requested to come here, and with a shaking hand, pushed one of the many front doors open.

Immediately she decided that she was woefully under dressed.

The interior screamed wealth, style and grandeur she’d never seen in anything but the movies, all intricate architecture trying to out do each other piece in regards to glamour and sophistication.

Her torn, worn and stained jeans, slightly too small top and hair held back by a single old hair band, made her feel even more out of place than she had walking down the strip.

The foyer was mostly empty, but the eyes that did linger, lingered on her, her attire, with a glare akin to one would receive if they smashed a priceless antique.

“Heck hem. Ma’am, if you’re going to gawk, you can do so outside.” One of only three currently posted receptionists remarked, breaking the teenager out of her stunned state.

“Oh! Sorry! No I’m here for a meeting!” She answered back, reaching for her backpack, managing to draw the necessary papers as she approached the receptionists desk, offering them out.

They were snatched away by manicured to perfection nails, a sneer shot at her as the other two, younger receptionists sniggered and snorted behind their respective hands.

The sneer faltered however after only a brief glance at the papers offered, a choked splutter leaving the main receptionist as her gaze returned to the teenager standing before her once again. The sudden change caused the other two receptionists to pause,  looking closer at the papers, only to pale despite their tanned faces.

The teenager shifted. “I received this in the post two days ago telling me to come here…” She was stopped by the head receptionist putting her own shaking hand up as the other placed the papers down so that she could instead reach for the intercom, tapping a few buttons hidden from view before leaning the mic towards her as a dial tone rang.

 _“One good reason why you’re bothering us. Now. Before I have you fired for interrupting us right after a meeting.”_ A voice snapped, their tone cold and unforgiving as an Antarctic winter.

“There’s a… Miss Mikaela Barnes here… with paperwork…”

_“That’s all we need to know, send her up.”_

“O-of course! Right away Ma’am!” The receptionist waited for the other end to hang up before turning back to the teen. “To your left, top floor….” She gestured to the set of gleaming elevators. “You’ll need this…” A key card was passed over to the teen, whom took with slight trepidation and concern at the sudden shift in the three women’s personalities. “You’ll need to swipe the card reader within the elevator to gain access to that level.”

The conversation was over, she could tell, nodding, she walked over to the elevators and pressed the call button, ignoring the many doors that lead to both the resorts casino, and other such tantalising facilities she would never be able to afford.

The elevator took only a few seconds to arrive, the doors sliding open to welcome her.

Before she could enter, four men in black suits stepped out, speaking quickly in what she guessed was Chinese, that assumption boosted by their Asian appearances.

Two of the men were speaking especially rapid, whilst the other two seemed to be fuming slightly.

They didn’t even acknowledge her presence as they walked around her and out of the building all together.

With the elevator now clear she stepped in, turning her attention to the slot on the side of the elevator just over the many floor buttons, sliding the card against it, a quiet ping answered her back.

Then, just below the card reader, a shifting of the gold plated metal slid away seamlessly, revealing a new button.

Pressing it after a moment's hesitation, the teen watched as the doors slide shut, and felt the sudden shift as the elevator shot upwards at an almost ear popping rate.

The ride ended almost as quickly as it begun, the doors sliding back open to revealing a sprawling suite.

She’d seen pictures of the rooms that the resort offered, but this was on another level.

Crystal chandeliers hung sparingly throughout the open plan living area, kitchen, dining room and from the glimpse she got from the corridor, some sort of private gym.

She had only just stepped out of the elevator when a voice called, their tone chipper, inviting and warm, unlike the cold, snappish tone she’d heard on the speaker of the intercom.

“Ah you’ve arrived! Good! Good! Oh, do stop standing there, you look like a lost child like that!”

How could she not stand frozen to the spot?

The woman whom had just come into view practically shone, the sweetheart neckline, dress she wore outshone all the chandeliers above them combined, studded with what looked like thousands of diamonds.

Given where she was, the notion of rhinestones as a cheap diamond replacement didn’t exist.

The woman's hair was left to flow behind her, along with the slight train that the dress had, the black and white locks on opposite sides to the black and white of the dresses, creating an evident contrast, like a checkerboard.

“Dear, are you… Oh my! Give us a few seconds and we’ll go change into something a bit more appropriate for casual conversation! We just finished off a meeting with a few officials from Beijing, so we’re a little glammed up. Do help yourself to anything in the kitchen, you look famished!” The woman announced, waving her hand at the teen.

Then the woman was whisking herself away, the sweeping transparent half skirt which trailed behind fluttering like a calm sea.

Mikaela just stood there for another moment, trying to understand what had just happened.

There didn’t seem to be anyone else around, who had the ‘we’ been that she’d been talking about?

Deciding to take up the woman's hospitality, she slowly approached the kitchen, everything about this place screamed ‘enough to buy a third world country’, and put her on an ever increasing edge.

She pried open one of the four massive fridges, and found herself gawking at the sight of not one, not two, but three entire roast turkeys which looked right off a food add.

Deciding that those were likely meant for another time, she reached lower down and plucked a simple green apple from a basket full of both reds and greens, the fruits chilled skin helping to ground the teenager in reality as she closed the fridge door and looked out from the kitchen.

What she found was a wall to wall view of Las Vegas, a bird's eye view of the entire strip.

If she looked down far enough.

Whomever had summoned her from her little garage in California, paid for their flight tickets and even ordered her to be picked up by a stretched hummer, Mikaela had the odd thought they were the type to of seen more money within their infant years than she ever would in her lifetime.

“Yah going to eat that or not? If not, put it back.”

The cold tone snapped her back away from the stunning view, finding the woman again, this time she was dressed in comparatively casual clothing, given the fact that their previous attire looked like it belonged to the daughter of a diamond mine tycoon.

“Umm…” Her grip around the apple tightened slightly.

Suddenly, the woman's expression shifted, becoming welcoming again. “Oh don’t worry about it dearie! Wren’s just being a grump because one of the officials decided to make a… lecherous comment! Don’t take it to heart, enjoy the fruit!” She chirped, before turning on one of her cork heels and practically strutting to the six seater, pure white leather sofa which sat perfectly opposite to the black mirror image.

After a moment of pause, the woman gestured to the black sofa with a flick of her wrist. “Sit… Aria’s nagging at me to apologise, so, I’m sorry I snapped at you out of internal impatience.” The cold tone announced, not looking at Mikaela, instead staring out at the Strip below.

Mikaela decided to remain where she was. “Is… I…”

The woman’s head swung back around, facial features morphed into surprise, Mikaela swore she saw something tucked back under the womans’ hair twitch. “Oh! How rude of us! So sorry there! We rarely properly introduce ourselves! We’re Arien! I’m Aria and miss-snark-alot, is my dear sister Wren… we were born in the same body so we have to share.” She chirped, but her lips shifted into a small frown as she shifted, wringing her hands together. “And… those officials decided to make some… very… dramatic accusations about us, so we’d rather not discuss it again today, I hope you understand?”

Mikaela nodded, picking up that she should probably try and ignore the fact she'd found herself in the… home? Of twin sisters who were more than a little attached.

Conjoined twins, she mentally corrected, a very extreme case of conjoined twins.

“But we didn't pay for everything to get you here just so you could listen to our story, we're here to talk about what you…” Wren then cut in, gesturing to the teen with grey painted nails which honestly looked sharp enough to pierce metal. “...and what you can do for us, in repayment.” Aria then announced, gesturing to themselves.

Mikaela gulped, she knew it would be something like this. “You got my daddy out of prison, I guess it's only fair. What do you want me to do?” She enquired, before a new question entered her head. “Why me anyway? Why did you decide to bail my dad and not someone else? I'm just a high schooler who knows her way around an engine block better than my own boyfriend!”

One of the twins snorted, humour evident in their features, before it was replaced by a coy smirk as they leant closer to the edge of the sofa. “Mikaela, dear, we know from personal experience and knowledge that you're destined for far greater things than being a ‘simple mechanic’.” Aria announced, a spark of glee in those sea green eyes as the smirk grew wider.

Before she could make a remark about that, Wren took over the conversation from her twin. “For now, how we know that, is irrelevant, we brought you here because we need you to get something for us, from one of your history classmates. To be precise.” They announced, pulling a picture out from their left pocket, handing it over to the teen. “I’m sure you are at least aware of his existence?”

Mikaela looked at the picture, she did recognise him, he was the kinda awkward teen she sometimes caught staring at her, he was weird in her books. “Yeah… I recognise him.”

Arien nodded. “Good, he has something we need, a pair of glasses.”

Mikaela gave them an odd look at that. “What’s so important about a pair of glasses? It seems to me like you’re loaded, why not just buy a pair?” She enquired.

A chuckle left the twin women, a soft smile forming as Aria responded. “Dearie, it’s not the glasses themselves, it’s the code imprinted on them, a unique code that we must get our hands on.” She responded. “He has put them up for sale, but, we cannot simply buy them, we cannot link ourselves to the pair of glasses with any sort of digital transaction whatsoever, and us suddenly showing up at his front door with a wad of cash won’t fly either. That’s why we need you to perform the transaction for us, person to person. Tomorrow, he will use them in his history report, where he will likely try and sell them. That is when we want you to acquire them.”

Mikaela was floored, but one thing stood out to her. “How… how do you know this? How do you know about the history report?”

Arien smirked, and tapped the side of their nose as Wren spoke. “That, is for us to know, and for us to tell you when you succeed. We do not wish to pressure you here, but, we must get that code, or else a lot of people may end up dead. Can we trust you with this?” The tone Wren used felt as serious as a heart attack as Mikaela tried to decipher her choices.

After a few minutes of mulling over everything, and everything she didn’t know, she reached out her hand. “You promise I’ll get a full explanation?”

Arien nodded, Aria responding. “Cross our two hearts and drown at the bottom on the deepest abyss.” The words were joined by both of their hands crossing over each breast.

Mikaela sent them a look, asking if they really did have two hearts.

Arien just grinned. “Once you get the glasses, contact us, there’s a Lake not far away from where you live, we’ll have someone there to pick you up, we hear there’s a party there, so one, don’t lose the glasses once you have them, and two, well, have fun.”

Their hands came together, and the deal was made.

* * *

Pentagon

Jamerson rocked on the balls of his feet, eyes trailing all around those present in the assembly.

He stood just to the left of the podium where the Sec Def was about to make his announcement to those assembled, regarding the Military base attack in Qatar.

“Hey, Jamie.” One of his co-workers, Flint, he forgot his last name, called to him.

“Yeah? What is it?”

“I overheard some of the big wigs talking about this, apparently something seriously high tech attacked the base, like, sci-fi, half of them were calling the rumour fantasy, pretty weird huh? Apparently they don’t want that part getting out yet. Oh there’s something else…”

“Shhussh! He’s here!” Jamerson cut over his co-worker, the man had a brilliant mind, but it was prone to wander and twist the things he’d heard, so his words always had to be taken with a pinch of salt.

The Secretary of Defence was indeed already speaking, and had been for a short while before he gestured for what they had to be played.

Jamerson listened in as the sound was played, it was strange, right out of a sci-fi movie, he gave Flint that, but then it abruptly cut off, after only a second or so.

“The signal, our specialists say, was then intercepted, and prevented, by a third party, mere moments after, the attack, to our knowledge, ceased, and any attempt to access the information stored in Qatar, is gone, wiped clean, by the third party group we can assume.” He announced, his features showing his concern.

Whispering broke out among the analysts within.

“Sir! Do you have anything from the third party?” One man called from somewhere halfway up the room.

The Sec Def shook his head. “No, this third party somehow managed to sever every connection we had at the time, we have nothing to go on other than the fact that it happened, and that the original signal was not long enough to have the ability to completely wipe the entire system clean… We are dealing with something we have never seen before, and we must crack this code, swiftly. Before these two parties do anymore damage… you will all be split into teams, it will be your duty to this country to crack this code, and remove this threat to our systems… Dismissed.” With that, he stepped away from the podium, and returned to the side, entering a conversation with Jamerson’s father and a few other government officials of the higher brass.

Flint nudged his side again. “They were yappin’ about how they think it could be either China or Russia… Maybe Japan, those guys are really advanced, maybe they’ve been keeping their real range of tech from us?”

Jamerson rolled his eyes. “Flint, please, let’s just get back to work.”

“Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, Jungle Boy.”

Jamerson scowled at the nickname, he’d been ‘graced’ with it ever since returning from the Amazon after performing his ‘miracle of survival’ it had gotten him in the good books of the higher ups even more than before, and had helped him go up a few ranks over the past year and a half through hard work and determination, and not just the fact that his father liked the idea of him taking over his own place when he retired.

He’d long since moved on from the entire experience, yes he still remembered it well, but he no longer dwelled upon it, for all he knew, his saviours had already found a way back to their own time, or found a way to happily live with their new bodies somewhere on this planet, or maybe even beyond, they didn’t exactly need oxygen anymore after all…

“Jamie! Earth to Jamie! We gotta go!” Flint declared, snapping him out of his revier.

Nodding, he quickly followed along with the rest of his team mates.

He broke off to slip into his desk, his gaze subconsciously going to the memory stick that he still used, the little light on the end still glowing as green as ever.

* * *

Cosmopolitan

The elevator doors slid shut behind Mikaela as Arien gave a final wave to the teens back.

Sighing Arien’s head swiveled around to give Kia a firm look as the slightly older woman stepped out of her room, her clothing no longer the ruined suit she’d worn coming in not two minutes before Mikaela had entered the front lobby.

“You are a damn lucky thing she didn’t spot all that blood, or the officials for that matter.” Wren remarked.

Kia was leaning against the doorframe of her room, giving a shrug as a response. “Wasn’t expecting her to get here so early amigo.” She responded, pushing off the doorway and coming out into the main area, reaching back to run her fingers through the damp brown locks which now cascaded down her back further than they had earlier when they weren’t leaving a wet trail behind them on the floor.

“But you knew we were hosting those officials, yet you still come waltzing in here, covered in blood and complaining about how you ran out of ammunition.” Wren pressed, hands falling to their hips.

 **“Well at least she didn’t bring a head as a trophy this time.”** Aria remarked to her sister.

**“That’s hardly something to be celebrated.”**

“Hey, at least I learnt my lesson and didn’t hack the head off my target this time.” Kia shot back, oblivious to the twins internal discussion.

Arien’s expression was all Kia needed to know to understand that point was invalid.

“So… you seen Ira today?” Kia enquired, opting to change the topic.

The twins shook their head. “No, not since this morning, either she’s still in her room…” Aria replied, before trailing off.

Wren took over. “Or she’s getting plastered somewhere… it’s not September so she’s not at Oktoberfest yet…”

“Though that’s never stopped her from going to Germany… or Ireland… or Russia…” Aria added, left hand scratching at the side of their head for a minute.

The sound of one of the doors down the corridor drew them to the sight of Ira half stumbling out of her bedroom door, rubbing at the side of her head which was currently an unruly nest of ginger locks. “Gah… would you all quiet down… I got a killer headache…” She grumbled, scratching at her side through her spaghetti strap pajama top.

Arien and Kia exchanged a look before Kia replied. “Serves you right for downing so much last night, looks like you finally discovered your alcohol tolerance…”

“It ain’t a hangover! I damn well know what one of those are! I just hit my head… oww…” The woman grumbled, rubbing at the side of her head with a grumble. “Next time, I’m sleeping on the ground…” She remarked.

It took a moment for the two to realise what the third member of their group meant. “Ohh! You banged your bipedal form’s helm when you fell from your perch back around six this morning… seriously though, are you trying to become a Bat or something? You were hanging upside down too.” Aria commented, regarding the holoform a second time.

Ira huffed and straightened, letting off a quick curse as an attempt to run her fingers through her hair got them stuck. “I wanna be wide awake for when we get to meet the bots, so, I’m oversleeping, duh, then I won’t be so tired!”

Arien rolled her eyes. “Ira, studies even in this reality and time have proven that that doesn’t work, sleeping more only means that your body expects even more, and so makes you more and more tired for longer periods of time.”

There was a long beat of silence before Ira huffed and stormed past them towards the kitchen. “Hungry.” She remarked as she threw open one of the fridges and she pulled out a bowl of salad, a pot of Nutella and a chunk of roasted steak left over from the night before, balancing them as she kicked the fridge door shut with her foot and went back into her room, kicking that door closed behind her as well.

With that discussion closed, Arien turned back to Kia as Wren enquired. “You disposed of the bodies right?”

Kia nodded with a smirk. “What’s wrong? The little Chica not have faith in my abilities? Of course I got rid of the evidence!” She exclaimed, waving the two off as she walked towards the gym. “It’s why my suits ruined, the wood chipper decided to spit out of both sides!”

Arien felt themselves turning a bit green around the cheeks. “TMI, Kia, TMI.” Aria muttered, deciding to go and lay down for a bit so their stomach would stop rolling itself into knots.

* * *

**There is a sketch I would put here if I had it of Arien's casual clothes and the two mentally bickering, but, again, no access to it until I visit home at the beginning of next month. So just go with the mental image of them bickering in their shared brain case.**

**Hopefully you all enjoyed this chap, movies starting to kick off, and by all the fires of hell are the Harpies going to let the plot take it's course. Until next time!**

**Moon**


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Decided it was time to put another chapter out, hope you all enjoy!

**Chapter 5**

The Next Day, Tranquility California

Mikaela glared out of the window she sat next to, doing her best ignoring her boyfriend Trent as he tried to coerce her into staying round his home after the lake party.

She’d already told him she couldn’t, that she had to do something to help her recently bailed father get himself back on his feet.

Trent wasn’t having it however. 

“C’mon babe… yah old man can wait can’t he?”

“No Trent, now shut up, I don’t want to talk about it anymore. I’m going to the lake party with you, but I need to do something else after, not hang with you, maybe tomorrow?” She tried.

Trent huffed, but seemed to relent for now.

Turning her gaze back to the front she found herself praying that this Witwicky guy would hurry up already, Arien had given her enough cash to buy the apparently really important glasses he was currently waving around, she just wanted to get this all over with.

“I’ve got them on Ebay right now… You could bid… you know… if you’re interested…”

The final bell graced her ears then, she swore she’d never gotten out of her chair and away from Trent faster.

“Hey! Sam!” She called to the teen who was trying to offer the specks out to their other classmates trying to make as hasty an exit as possible.

He spun around and seemed to all but have his brain crash as she walked up to him. “Y-yeah? C-c-can I help you?” 

“Yes, I’ll buy them, here.” She offered the wad of tens, honestly it was way more than a pair of glasses could ever be worth, but, oh well, it wasn’t her cash that was being used here.

Sam floundered, and the wad drew some wandering and surprised looks from their teacher, Trent, and the remaining classmates.

“A friend of mine likes to collect stuff like this, so she gave me this to buy anything I could do to help boost her collection. So, this enough?” She huffed, propping her hand on her hip.

Sam promptly nodded. “Y-yeah! It’s enough! H-here!” He offered her the ancient looking glasses, which she quickly took, then the case that was offered, all whilst she passed over the bound wad.

She didn’t wait around to hear him continue rambling, marching back to her chair, grabbing her stuff and leaving, Trent quickly following behind.

“Babe, we need to talk.” 

She halted in her power walk, spinning on her frowning boyfriend. “What is it Trent?” 

“You never mentioned having a friend that was loaded.” 

Mikaela scowled. “She’s a new friend, met her… a few days ago, now I need to go call her, let them know I got something, I’ll see you at the Lake Trent.”

“Or I could give you a lift home?” 

“In other words, you want to grill me on Arien.” She shot back.

“Ari-en? Huh, pretty name…” He wasn’t focused on her for a moment, giving her all the time she needed to turn back towards the exit and storm away.

When she reached the door, she heard him call to her, but she pushed through, reaching into her pocket and pulling out her flip phone, dialing in the number of Arien’s phone number that she’d been given on a square of paper.

_ “Given the time of the call, I’m guessing… Mikaela?” _ She heard Aria’s chirpy voice call. 

“Yeah, it’s me, I got them.” 

_ “Excellent! We knew we’d done the right thing entrusting you with this! We’ll send someone to come pick you up! Oh, Wren want’s to speak to you quickly… If you see a yellow with black racing striped vehicle following Sam, walk up to it, driver or not, and tell it you have the glasses and to stop targeting Sam. It should be at the lake, so you’ll probably just have to wave them at it to get it’s attention.”  _

Mikaela paused in her walking. “Is this all just some stupid joke?” 

_ “If it was, Aria would've lost her composure by now and started laughing our head off, listen to me Mikaela, the vehicle, is not a normal vehicle, it is a he, he is sentient, and we need you to get his attention to save him from a lot of potential harm, please… I’m sending you a clip to your computer at home, watch it, and you’ll understand.” _

With that, they hung up.

This was getting way too weird.

Shoving the glasses into its case, she then shoved that into her bag and took off towards her house at a jog, her mind racing as her eyes darted around, paranoia spiking.

She was just about to cross a street when she saw it, rolling right past her, old, banged up, but yellow, with black racing stripes.

And no driver.

“It’s you…” 

The car slowed for a brief moment, she swore the wing mirror lifted up slightly.

She turned, and bolted, panic rising within her, her feet carrying her fast on a longer route home, doing her best not to look back.

She didn’t hear its engine following, but when she reached her front door, she did look back.

It was there, at the end of her street, turned directly towards her.

She practically threw her front door open when her keys finally unlocked it, and then slammed it behind her, hand pressed to her chest to quell her racing heart.

“Miki?” 

Her head swung around, finding her recently bailed father standing there, looking more than a little surprised, with concern brimming in his eyes. “Was… Was some bastard following you?” 

How could she explain the driverless car that had followed her right after she’d been told to get it’s attention from a woman she’d met the day before after they and their twin had had her whisked away to Las Vegas, women whom somehow shared a body…

“No… no… just… just got homework! Yeah, homework!” 

“But it’s near the end of the year isn’t it? Shouldn’t they be tapering off homework by now?” 

“Yeah, but I got it dumped on me by history, due tomorrow, want to get it done before the party up at the lake later tonight.” She rushed out.

“Oh, ok, well… let me know if you need any help with it?” 

She paused in her preparation to rush to her room, the urge to see what Wren had said had been growing steadily since she had been told that something had been sent to her. How did they even have her email address?

Her father was really trying, she realised, he’d missed so much of her childhood and teen years he was struggling to know how to properly help her like a father should.

She stepped forwards and pulled her father into a quick hug. “Will do daddy.”

His arms trapped her against him for a moment, before he let her go and patted her on the shoulder. “Go on, I’ll be cooking up some dinner so you don’t get hungry while you’re at that party… mac and cheese?” He enquired.

Mikaela nodded. “Yeah, sounds good dad.” She then stepped away, calmed by her father's naivety of the situation.

Walking into her own room she walked over to her computer, booting it up took a few minutes, but she was able to quickly open up her email, finding a new message, how had they even gotten ahold of her email?

‘Bumblebee aka, yellow and black car’

“Bumblebee…?” She mumbled, opening the email, glancing at the sender Username ‘Ar/WrOriciono’.

“Guess their last names Oriciono…” She mumbled, finding below a tagged video.

With only a few moments pause, she clicked it.

The video player went to full screen immediately.

Robots, giant, different coloured, different sized robots, all standing around and on what looked like some old observatory.

The largest was kneeling, the same glasses she’d just bought, held almost comically between two of his giant mechanical features.

“Please… let this work…” His voice was deep, a baritone if she remembered right, as he stared at the glasses.

It then panned out to the others again, the smallest speaking. “Fire it up Optimus.” 

Optimus, the big one was Optimus… why… what was she seeing?

Then, it just got stranger, light beams shot out of ‘Optimus’ metal eye things, entering the glasses lenses.

And a giant glowing map of the Earth appeared.

“The code…” Arien had mentioned a code… was this it? “The code on these glasses indicates the Allspark is two hundred and thirty miles from here.” 

The glasses were a map… a map they needed to find the ‘Allspark’?

The green one then spoke up, the view panning to him. “I sense the Decpticons are getting ready to mobilise.”

The black one then spoke. “They must know it’s here as well.”

Was that a bad thing? Decepticons didn’t exactly sound like a friendly name…

“What about Bumblebee?!” The smallest interrupted.

Mikaela felt herself lean closer to the screen.

“We can’t just leave him to die!” The shot cut away, turning to a new one, yellow and black, Bumblebee, laying out on some moving slab as white clouds of something were sprayed at him. “... And become some human experiment!” 

She felt something her her stomach drop.

Then the Optimus one cut over. “He’ll die in vain if we don’t accomplish our mission!” 

Then the shot returned to them. “Bumblebee is a brave soldier! This is what he would want!” 

The black one snapped back. “Why are we fighting to save the humans?!” 

Then it cut back with him still talking, showing ‘Bumblebee’ thrash and buckle as he was blasted with what looked like electricity, pitching mechanical whines leaving him with each blast, the weight in her gut was just getting heavier… she’d just seen him… How did they get this? 

“They’re a primitive! Violent race!” 

“Were we so different?” Optimus sent back.

Then it was over, the screen going dark.

And her phone ringing from it’s place in her pocket.

She jumped at the ringtone, flailing for a moment to pull it out and answer it, this was too weird, she lifted it to her ear, pressing answer.

_ “We’re trying to save them… this hasn’t happened yet… we’re trying to change their fate… we need those glasses to lure them away from the grasp of your Government…” _ It was Aria, at least, she thought it was, her tone was softened, saddened even, like she’d been forced to watch that a hundred times over, like she knew things that warred upon them.

Mikaela gulped. “They’re trying to keep us safe… why would that do that to him? Who are you?” 

_ “I can’t risk saying too much, this line isn’t secure, we’ll speak more once you’re back in Las Vegas… you’re okay with another visit right?”  _

She nodded, despite the fact that they couldn’t see her. “Yeah… yeah, I’ll tell my dad I’m sleeping over… I think this is gonna be quite the explanation.” 

_ “Given there’s the chance you’ll faint, I’d have to agree with you.”  _ Aria responded, her voice returning it it’s more positive tone.

Then Wren cut in.  _ “A close friend of ours, Kia, is going to be sending a significantly sized convoy to transport you… don’t freak out, she’s just trying to cover all our bases. Just in case a ‘Con chances upon you.”  _

Mikaela gulped. “Was that supposed to help me calm down about all this?” 

_ “No, I was stating a fact.”  _

“Good to know… see you then I guess…” 

_ “See yah soon Mikaela! And remember, grab Bumblebee’s attention! We need to lure him to us so we can alert them to the danger they’re in.”  _  Aria finished up, before the call was dropped.

Sighing, she dropped her head to her desk.

Her life had certainly taken a turn for the bizarre in the last twenty four hours.

Witwicky residence

Bumblebee was having a hard time focusing on the human male Samuel Witwicky he was supposed to guard, his processor stuck on that weird encounter with the human female.

She’d recognised him… then bolted, had his movements been too much? He’d just tried to get a better look at who’d suddenly spoken at him.

Maybe she was just a conspiracy nut… or she knew someone who had a similar vehicle to his alt mode?

Nothing he could think of made sense… Well it did, but every time he thought up another explanation, something nagged in the back of his processor saying it wasn’t right.

The sound of the front door closing brought the scouts attention back to the present. He had to quickly hold in a shudder as the human teen opened his driver side door and slid in, foot hitting the side of his central column in his haste, this was still a very new feeling, having something else alive inside him, but, to the teen, he was just a normal car, he had to make sure he was safe long enough for them to get the glasses from them.

“Alright… Lake… to the Lake… Gotta get Miles… god Mikaela was so hot today…” 

This human was very, very, very strange.

When this ‘Miles’ human was picked up, Samuel decided to have a very rampant conversation with them.

“Dude! I got a sell! Mikaela bought one of the pieces of my Great Grandfather’s junk!” He exclaimed.

“Bro! Awesome! How much did you get?”

“Dude… a fucking grand!” 

Miles did a spit take, spraying his dashboard with his saliva, and again Bumblebee had to hold back the urge to shudder, he’d need to wash that out… as soon as possible.

“What?! Dude, the fuck she buy?! His preserved leg?!” 

“No! And, eww, that’s gross, she bought the old mans glasses!” 

It took a few minutes for the humans statement to sink in, when it did, he very nearly killed his engine.

Samuel Witwicky didn’t have the glasses… apparently he’d sold them, that day… 

The scout wished he was able to be in his alt mode so he could perform the human expression of ‘face palming’.

“Really? Dude! Those things were like… junk?!”

“Apparently a friend of hers is a collector of stuff like that, she bought it for them… she handed over the wad, took the glasses, then left… she’s probably gonna be at the lake party too… maybe I can ask her there? Give her the extra money back maybe to try and gain her favour?”

“Dude… Chivalry’s dead, don’t bother, keep the cash, besides, you’ll get your face pounded by her jock boyfriend if he catches you tryin’ to make moves on his girl!” 

“Worth the shot.” 

The rest of the conversation, Bumblebee decided to tune out, focusing on following Sam’s motions on his wheel so as to reach this lake and try to identify this ‘Mikaela’ human.

Hopefully she had the glasses with her.

When the humans finally got out of him, they were ranting and raving all over again, apparently Samuel had spotted his new target.

His optics ran over everyone within range.

Stopping on the human female from earlier that day, despite being surrounded by a group of other similarly dressed females all seeming to talk at once, she was staring directly at them.

“Dude she sees us!” 

That was it, that was the final confirmation, that was the human he somehow needed to get ahold of.

How? That was the big question.

_ “Bumblebee to Optimus, come in Optimus.” _

_ “Optimus here… status report Bumblebee?” _

_ “The glasses have a new owner, they were exchanged for local currency to a human female, I have located her, but we are in a public place, the Witwicky boy brought me to an outdoors celebration of some sort next to a body of liquid.” _

_ “Hmm… try and draw their attention… discretely.”  _

_ “No need sir, she’s staring dead at me, I encountered her earlier this cycle… she somehow seemed to know I was more than just a vehicle…”  _

_ “You’re suggesting she knows you are more than a vehicle?” _

_ “Yes sir, and I haven’t shifted into my bipedal form in any location where she or any human could of chanced upon me, I made sure of it.”  _

_ “Hmm… this does complicate things… What are they doing now?” _

He turned his focus back to the human female, she was looking away now, talking rapidly to some of the surrounding females, trying to make her way out of the group.

He turned his audios up.

“Sorry Girls, I, I gotta go, I’ll see you all tomorrow, promise.” She was going somewhere.

One of the males then grabbed her. “Babe, you’re acting weird, what’s going on?” 

_ “Optimus, something is occurring…”  _

“Nothing is wrong Trent, I'm going to visit my friend in  _ Las Vegas _ so I can give them these glasses, they sent a car to pick me up, see, the drivers over there waiting!” She was becoming stressed, trying to wrench on hand free of 'Trent’s’ grip, using the other hand to gesture to a car parked a short way behind himself, he felt himself tense, he hadn't noticed that vehicle arrive, a quick scan reassured him, no Cybertronian signal. Though even he felt a little bit imitated by the slight scowl on the face of the giant man whom stood next to the driver side door, the taut white suit he wore straining to contain the musculature beneath, the man seemed to be of African descent, his skin tone and head of greying black hair standing out against the white suit.

“Babe, this is bull, when the hell did you… it ain't a friend is it?! You got yourself a sugar daddy didn't you?! That's how your old man managed to pay his bail! You hore! You slept with some old guy! What's his real name! None of that 'Arien’ shit!”

Throughout the rampant accusations, she was shouting right back, drawing attention from the surrounding humans.

“The hell Trent?! Why the fuck do you think I'd do that?! You know what?! For that? We're done! I'm sick and tired of you always trying to control what I do, treating me like some dumb trophy you own! I ain't no damn ornament you can lord over!  _ Good bye! _ ” She wrenched her hand away and stormed towards the large, white SUV, the driver holding the passenger door open for her.

“Ma’am, the ladies will be waiting for you in the Lobby of the Cosmopolitan Resort, estimated arrival time to the airport is just under an hour, Arien’s private jet is waiting for you there.” The driver announced, speaking loud enough to be heard by her now ex boyfriend.

“Thank you…”

“Winston ma'am.”

“Winston, thank you.”

“Any friend of Arien is a friend of Kia, and so, should be given the same level of respect. In my opinion at least.”

The door was the shut, the driver moving into the driver's seat.

He didn't hesitate to start his own engine, earning a panicked shout from Samuel as he quickly ditched the human teens to follow the SUV. 

Mikaela Barnes was his new target.

Mikaela sighed, slumping against the plush black leather which covered the back seats. “Talk about getting the rumour wheel rolling…” 

Winston chuckled, pushing his glasses up his nose. “Petty words, jealousy and envy have no effect if you stand strong against them… i hope I didn't make too much of a scene now did I?”

She chuckled. “No… no… it’s fine…” She pushed herself back up, glancing to the rear-view mirror. “Is that Yellow and Black car following us?”

“Yes Ma’am, but I was told to expect that and not to be too concerned…Does it make you feel uncomfortable?” 

“No, just wanted to check…”

“Hmm, very well, ah, the Convoy is merging, don’t worry Ma’am, you’re safe.” 

Mikaela nodded.

After a few minutes of just soft piano music coming from the speakers, she decided to speak up. “Hey… Winston?” 

“Yes?” 

“Who’s Kia?” 

“Ah, Lady Kia Estrada, she owns the majority of the Casinos on the Las Vegas Strip, and other such Casinos around the world, hence why she has such a level of security… She is a very close friend of the Ladies Aria and Wren Oriciono, and that of Ira Halloran, the fourth member of their little friendship group, they're all quite influential women… I do believe that Lady Kia will be joining you on your flight to Las Vegas, she had business elsewhere in California, hence why the Jet is here.” 

“Oh… well, thank you Winston.” 

“Oh don’t thank me, I’m just doing my job! Anything you want me to change the radio to? Oh and for your comfort, there is a cooler built into the middle seat, just pull the tab down and you’ll be able to access them.”

Mikaela chuckled at that, of course the SUV would have a feature like that.

Bumblebee was more than aware of the group of white SUV’s that now surrounded not just the vehicle with Mikaela in it, but also himself, they were shepherding him.

That was not something he felt comfortable with.

_ “Optimus, I believe that I have come into contact with humans who know I am sentient, they seem to be leading me towards an Airport.”  _

_ “We cannot lose the glasses Bumblebee, do you know their destination.”  _

_ “Yes sir, Las Vegas… the Cosmopolitan Resort, I overheard that there are a group waiting for Mikaela in the lobby to receive the glasses.”  _

_ “Decepticons?” _

_ “No sir, if it was, they would of attacked by now, I’m not picking up any readings from these vehicles.”  _

_ “Hmm, this could be a trap, remain on guard Bumblebee, we are altering our trajectory, Ratchet estimates we will have arrived just before the end of the next Earth cycle.” _

_ “Understood sir, I’ll report back with anything else I find…”  _

_ “Be careful Bumblebee.” _ The line ended there.

Visalia Municipal Airport

When she stepped into the Jet that was to take her to Las Vegas, Mikaela once again had the sudden feeling that she was stepping into a completely different world.

Evidently, the life of luxury was something Aria and Wren indulged in heavily.

Shuffling to the plush seat about halfway down the plane, she was almost immediately offered a tray of condiments by a smiling Air hostess wearing a black and white uniform.

Realising a single peanut could probably set her back an amount which could be classified as extortion, she turned it down, glancing over at Winston, whom was apparently going to be both her, and Kia’s driver when they arrived in Las Vegas.

Her gaze then drifted out towards the window, and the parking lot beyond.

She spotted Bumblebee just as he took a corner and disappeared.

He was probably going to find his own way to Vegas… The convoy had broken away from him, and now sat ready to go again in the short stay car park, they'd been there to stop any funny business from the sentient robot.

“Mikaela? Are you nervous?” Winston enquired, going to sit in a seat close to hers, gesturing to the air hostess, she quickly responded, bringing him back what looked like a freshly made peanut butter and banana slices sandwich, which he promptly dug into.

“Yeah… looks like the cars going it’s own way…” 

“I know who he is dear, you don’t need to pretend you don’t know who he is either.” Winston responded once he’d cleared his throat.

Mikaela turned her full focus on him. “How did you react?”

“How else? I fainted, manly fainted, though I didn’t find out about him and his lot until later, it was accidentally stumbling on something else that triggered my lapse in consciousness… Then Aria and Wren explained a few things, and now… well… my life has certainly become more interesting… ah, it would seem Mrs Estrada has arrived.” He announced, having apparently spotted something she was facing away from.

A minute or so later they were joined by a Hispanic woman, but Mikaela had to perform a double take just to make sure she wasn't imagining things.

The woman was a vision, and her posture radiated out an aura of intimidation as she flung dark brown windswept locks out of her face, the rest held in place by a sun hat with a significant rim.

She wore a sundress, soft cream with rouge trimming and a transparent black shawl draped around the back and around her arms.

“Mikaela Barnes?” Her tone was soft as she asked that question, approaching the assortment of seats as if she was approaching an easily spooked animal.

Mikaela nodded, holding her breath for a moment as one hand reached out, palm up. “The glasses.”

“Oh! Yes! Right!” She fumbled there for a moment, finally pulling her backpack off her back, digging around within before pulling out the case and handing it other.

A strange, trill like sound left the older woman as she slowly coaxed the case open, examining the glasses for a brief moment before sliding the case back shut. “You did well, Aria and Wren are going to be pleased… for now though.” She offered the case back. “Hold onto them for me alright?”

Mikaela nodded, placing the case back within her bag and placing that at her feet,watching as Kia took the seat facing her next to Winston, waving to the hostess who returned again with an already poured Martini, a cherry bobbing around in the liquid.

However, she paused just as she was about to take a sip, a smirk forming on her faded gold painted lips, her hand stretching out. “Kia De La Estrada, pleasure to meet you. We didn't meet yesterday because I was occupied with a bath. You'll meet Ira when we arrive, she's no longer nursing a nasty bang to the head… no wait, she's off on a little excursion… you'll meet that maniac eventually.” The warmth that was in her tone even at the last part of her statement was somewhat comforting to the teen.

Mikaela shook the hand offered to her. “So… can I… get an explanation… I have so many questions after that video…”

“Video? … Ah, I see, the twins sent you part of the film to convince you of a few things. Yes, film, well a film to myself the twins and Ira… real life to you and the rest of the human race here…”

Mikaela glanced to Winston, who’d remained silent since his comment about Kia having arrived. “You’re certain she’s not crazy?” She hissed to him.

Kia laughed at the question. “Dear, I may have a bolt or two loose, but I’m hardly crazy, the situation we find ourselves in is very real. You see Mikaela, back in September of 2005, in your time, myself, Ira, and Arien, were all transported here, from a parallel reality, by a force we have yet to identify, this reality is one, that, before our arrival here, we knew as nothing more than… well… fiction, you especially, were nothing but a fictional character belonging to a franchise myself and my close friends enjoyed greatly… Think of it this way, you know Star Wars?” 

Mikaela was really having a hard time believing a word this woman was saying, but she nodded, of course she knew Star Wars.

“Well then, imagine you were say… all of sudden flung from your daily life as a part time Mechanic, and right slam bang in the middle of Nabu without so much as a map to help you. That is, in effect, what happened to us, only I ended up being transported from Kenya to Zimbabwe, Ira from Rome to a forest in Germany, and Arien, well, those two were flung all the way from London to the middle of the Amazon… do you understand?” 

Winston then leant over and passed her a bottle of water. “Here, drink.” 

She quickly obliged, having found her throat suddenly very parched, after a quick sip she tried to respond. “So… You… that’s how you knew to get me? Get these glasses? Following the plot?” 

Kia snorted. “Fuck no, we have no intention of letting what’s in the film, happening here… No one’s needlessly dying on our watch.” 

Mikaela stared at her for another long moment before the Pilot chose that time to tell them they were about to taxi out onto the runway.

She thought that her life couldn’t get any weirder when she accepted the existence of sentient cars able to take humanoid form.

Now she’s got trans-dimensional beings on her plate whom apparently know the future.

“Can I ask a question?”

Kia nodded, a small smirk on her lips as she continued to sip at her drink, her free hand buckling herself in, which Mikaela quickly followed with.

“How much weirder are things going to get?” 

“Dear, by the fourth movie, there’s a Giant Robot Rex with a Scottish Accent… don’t tell anyone I told you that.” 

Winston had the grace to try and hide his snort behind his hand.

Mikaela let off a groan as she felt the jet they were on begin to accelerate down the runway.

Once they were in the air and the seat belt sign turned back off, Kia rose, a single stride putting her directly in front of Mikaela so that she could rest her hand on the teen’s shoulder.

“It’s a lot to take in, I advise you take a nap so that you can save as much energy as possible for what’s to come.” 

She took that more as an order than a suggestion, the idea of sleep was a welcomed one, and the plush seat was more than comfortable to nap for a bit…


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello everyone! I wanted to have this chapter ready to go for yesterday to say goodbye to 2017, but one of my goldfish who's at least seventeen has suddenly bellied up, he's still alive but we were all in a bit of a panic yesterday and I clean forgot about posting.**

**Also we think one of our other fish is gonna pop his second eye out, i'm not making that up, he's developed cataracts in both and he ejected the first over a year ago and we're just waiting to see if he can live happily fully blind.**

**And on top of that, the youngest has a tumor growing on his side larger than the top of my thumb, so yeah, our fish have had a few interesting days and led me to be a little bit stressed cause I love those guys.**

**Enough about the fish, I should also apologise for not posting much, Uni is a ton of fun but it's also draining and the accommodation feels more like a prison with how it works so I struggle to find the right mood for writing.**

**Anyway, I've yammered on enough, hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

Air Force 1

High heels were muffled against the well used carpet as one of the hostesses passed down the plane between officials, their gaze flicking about, spotting the form that seemed to go unseen by all others.

When you don't know what you're looking for, you're blind to it existing.

An old quote from her mother, but oh so fitting to the current situation that it was almost chilling.

But it only brought a smirk to her face, all the more space to walk about without drawing questions.

After all, who'd think that the redhead who'd just finished serving some drinks was nothing but an illusion? A solid projection made by the advanced technology she had access to.

Technology which was currently clutching to the underside of the massive airborne vehicle, talons large enough to pop a head like a blueberry, stabbed clean through the hull as massive metallic wings wrapped tight around the fuselage, metallic feathers leaving the faintest of paint scratches, helm craned to stare ahead and enjoy the feel of wind against their metal features.

Strutting up to the door at the end of the corridor, she reached out, and twisted the nob, regarding the President beyond as he lay strewn out on the bed. “You called sir?” Her tone was accented flawlessly, the epitome of a Sweet Southern Belle.

“Yeah, go get me a couple ding dongs, okay darlin’?”

“Borche sir?”

“That's it. Thanks doll.”

She shut the door, stepped into the elevator, and turned her gaze down, her lips twitching up at the sight of the stereo system in the corner, she reached down and plucked it, him, up by the handle.

When she reached the level below, she placed the stereo down on one of the raised tables and pressed her custom revolver right against the center of the disk lid. “Gigs up Con.” Her native accent came back as she pulled the handle back with her thumb. “Ah assure yah, play any funny shi’ and ah'll put more holes in yah than tha’ base yah buddy attacked over in Qatar.” She hissed, baring her pearly whites in a grin that left no doubt of her seriousness.

There was a moment of silence before the stereo began to transform.

The gun remained pressed up against the metal, she almost laughed at the fact that when the transformation ended, the muzzle was pressed right into the Cons tiny crotch, oh what good aim she had.

She did smirk and lean up into Frenzy's personal space. “Scarred ah’ll blow whatever yah've go’ there tah bits? Good. Cause one wron’ move an’ ah'll more than happily unload the whole god damn magazine inta yah crotch.”

The minicon quickly nodded his spiky little head, his processor suddenly rolling over what had just happened.

A moment later, something stabbed into his servos mechanism, causing him to hiss at the woman who'd just stabbed what looked like a human syringe into his circuitry.

He locked up though at the increased pressure of the muzzle on his hipplates.

“Good li’l minicon. I knew yah'd try to go for the POTUS main frame. Know tha’ yah wan’ information, well, yah gonna want to be a smart li’l mech and leave well damn alone, unless yah wan’ tah be mah next victim like you're buddy… Blackou’.” The designation was practically purred out, her eyes shining with malice.

He locked up just that bit, the revelation somehow making sense.

It also made this human even more of a danger.

Then, his servo began to shake and rattle, the one that still had the little syringe stabbed in, two of the fingers were pulling back the plunger, his energon trickling up, filling the glass tube.

Then it was pulled out, the single hand easily capping it and placing it into the deep pocket of her hostess uniform.

“Now if yah try tah hack tha Government, tha’ little gift from meh to yah, will activate. Ever heard of locked in syndrome? I suggest yah don't look it up, because it's quite a nasty fate. One ah’m certain tha humans will more than happily take advantage of… how do dissection tables sound tah yah?” The smirk on the woman's lips was stuck somewhere between playful and downright sadistic.

The minicon nodded slowly.

Then the handgun was removed from its threatening position. “Good.” It was holstered under her skirt as her other hand raised and made a becoming motion to something behind him. “Here girl.”

Clanking metal on metal caused him to spin on his spot atop the high table.

Just as a large metal bird head came level with his own form, for a brief moment he thought it was Laserbeak, but everything from the bright blue optics focused dead set on his own, to the fact it's entire frame seemed to be covered in the mass of metallic brownish red, and white with black speckled feathers, dashed that perceived notion as the giant creature's helm tilted to the side, razor sharp beak clacking a short distance from his faceplates.

“Here girl. Got somethin’ for yah.” The human called, pulling the syringe back out and waving it in the air.

The creature's helm swung around and it stepped over, its entire body swaying from side to side as it opened its beak.

The syringe was placed within, the beak shutting once the human's’ hand was clear.

The human patted the large creatures head. “See yah outside pumpkin.” 

Then it was walking back off, round a corner, out of sight.

Then the human turned back to Frenzy with a renewed smirk. 

Then, within the shutter of his optics, the revolver was re-drawn and being fired into the ceiling, six shots, each ringing out as they buried into the reinforced metal.

Shouts quickly followed causing his helm to snap round as he let off a hiss, arming himself with his weapon.

One shot towards the woman and she was gone, just before the round hit, the form vanishing in a flurry of pixels.

A holoform, that meant that there was another Cybertronian here, the creature? 

His musing was cut short by harmless rounds rattling off his armour, causing him to snap back to present and begin his attack.

Then, the alarms began to scream over them.

The air pressure shifted, and it was all the warning those within the lower bay had, before they were suddenly sucked out, the humans screaming as they were ripped out of the plane by the sudden decompression.

Frenzy was also sucked out, his metallic form tumbling through the air.

When he righted himself, he spotted something coming towards him, the creature, it’s talons out ready to snatch him out of the sky.

He leveled his weapon and fired again, if it went in, he couldn’t tell, the howling wind drowning out even the sound of the weapon firing.

Then those talons closed around him, and he was practically snatched out of his fall and swept away.

They were passing over a body of cloud a moment later, under the massive aircraft he’d just been within.

He spotted the fuselage, and the massive tears in the under side, the talons which grasped him were far too small to of caused them.

A high pitched screech came not a moment after as a far larger form slid out of the clouds, massive wings beating and easily keeping pace with the far smaller one, each beat causing the clouds to flurry and thrash around them.

The smaller creature, a minicon like himself, screeched back, then spun, and let go.

He was airborne again for a brief moment, before he was once again snatched out of the air, and left to dangle beneath the far larger bird.

He was shooting off obscenities now in his native dialect, but once again, the howling wind drowned him out.

Then, the two bird like creatures were diving through the clouds, wings folded to their sides as they shot downwards.

They broke through, over some sort of woodlands, they leveled out, the air currents the larger ones wings were creating forcing the tops of the trees to bend and rock in their wake.

Then, he was let go, the birds already disappearing over a ridge of foliage before he even dropped below the tree line, leaving him to careen and crash through the branches painfully slowing his fall until he hit the pine needle covered ground.

The minicon lay there for a few minutes, trying to reach out on the com-links to try and connect with the others, no luck, those damned… things, had dumped him in one of the remote places in the damned country the humans called ‘America’.

Turning his gaze to his servo, he scowled, running a diagnostic, and finding something that only cemented that things threat. A virus, already nestled deep within his coding, his own defenses having barely lasted a moment against whatever onslaught had been unleashed upon his systems.

In his moment of pause, the tiny minicon did not see a form materialise out of the shadows of the trees, a snarl on the only part of the faceplates not hidden by a thick pane of black glass.

The smashing of a rotted log under massive talons jolted the minicon to spin and draw his small weapon.

He didn’t even get a chance to fire, something massive slammed into his side, sending him crashing into a nearby tree.

Dazed his optics and helm drifted upwards, locking on the murderous snarl of a mech who’s stature left him likely to even tower over Starscream.

The mech was hunched over, massive sweeping limbs stretched out and curled in slightly to create a feeling of being trapped within as he tried to regain his boundaries.

“Pet, hold it down.”

Not a moment later, talons smashed into the wood around him, trapping the minicon even further as his blue optics finally managed to get themselves working again.

His tiny spark dropped.

It was another of those bird creatures, it’s helm white and the majority of its body brown, murky yellow pedes and black talons holding him in place.

The mechanical bird that pinned him blinked it’s wide gold optics at him, but at the snarl of the massive mech, it ducked, trying to shift out of the way with one leg stuck in a tree to give the mech room to get down on all fours and lean into the personal space of the minicon.

“I know you.” The mech hissed, tilting his helm to the side, stange flaps on the sides of his helm flaring out, making his helm seem even wider than it already was.

Frenzy just stared, his processor having just simply given up trying to understand the situation he was suddenly in.

“You’re one of those freaky alien things.” The mech chuckled, a low rumbling sound that held an ominous ring that, despite the vorns he’d spent within close proximity of mechs such as Megatron, cause a shudder to go through his main strut.

“Oh, this just made the last few years so much more worth it… Wait a minute…” The mech somehow got closer, Frenzy finally took in the mech’s colour scheme, surprised to find it the same as the one still pinning him.

Then, the mech sniffed him, one long deep pull before a moment of silence, and a twisted smirk replacing the mechs snarl.

“There’s only one bitch I know who has access to that mix of drinks, heh, guess that stupid anarchist is here too… good… good… and where one Harpy is, that dual freak is quick to follow, if not lead the way, and of course, my disgrace of a sister at their side…” The mech was rambling to himself, not even paying attention to Frenzy, at least until the mechs helm snapped back to regard the minicon once again.

“Let me guess… you just got flung out of a plane by a redheaded psycho who’s more than a little trigger happy?”

Frenzy nodded slowly, a mounting sense of dread filling him as he regarded this mech, there was something wrong with this mech, something was missing from his helm, and it was a vital component.

The smirk grew larger.

“Oh, this is just getting better and better, alright bird beak, drop the alien freak, we’re paying the Harpy’s a visit, and if I know my sister, I know exactly where they’ll be…” The mech rose as the bird creature ripped it’s talons back out of the tree, letting the minicon drop to the ground dazed.

Raising his helm slowly, Frenzy was left to stare at the mech now towering over him.

Nothing about this mech was normal, to the point that Frenzy was beginning to seriously doubt this mech was even remotely Cybertronian, despite the metalic structure.

No Cybertronian would ever trade their arms for wings...

No Cybertronian would view his own kind as ‘alien freaks’...

Apparently though, in those few moments of contemplation, the mech had changed his processor on something.

“Alright freak, change of plans, you’re gonna take me to your fucking leader.”

What? 

* * *

Pentagon

Jamerson sighed, what was he even doing here? 

Watching over the signal analysts trying to crack the code that was used to hack into the Qatar base. That’s what.

They were to report to him if they had anything, and then he’d be the ferry boy going off to tell the higher ups.

A desk jockey.

Damnit he needed a smoke.

It had been two years since his incident in the Amazon, yet still they kept him on desk work.

It was startling to drive him mad.

What was his four hours of exercise worth every night if he couldn’t use it for anything other than to run around between Generals and other higher ups?

A murmur from one of the closer groups of analysts drew his attention, he didn’t catch the words the blonde was saying.

But he did catch her hiding a memory card in her compact mirror.

He was about to start moving to confront the analyst about what she was about to pull when someone called his name from the other side of the room, one of the other Analyst teams.

Glancing at the blonde quickly, he decided she’d still be there after he checked with the group, so he turned and walked over to the group that had called him.

“What have you found?” He enquired, leaning over the one who’d called him.

“Well, after much consideration, we think it could be China, the coding language is completely alien, but the symbols could be a older version of their dialect not globally known they’re using to hide their coding in?” The statement came out more like a question.

Sighing, he answered, knowing they were trying. “Honestly your guess is as good as mine on this, but I’ll let the Brass know.” He finished his statement with a pat on the shoulder. “Keep working on it, you might be onto something for all we know.” With that he pushed himself back upright, turning his attention towards the group the blonde was in.

Only to find her already gone.

“Shit.” He cursed, quickly breaking into a fast paced walk, not wanting to raise alarm as he aimed to find his superior to alert him to the situation.

* * *

Las Vegas, Cosmopolitan a few hours later

Bumblebee’s engine cut as he parked himself into a reserved spot that a elderly Valet had pointed him to.

A second convoy had surrounded him just out of Vegas and led him here.

The Valet stepped up to his driver side door, he’d changed his alt mode on the way here, replacing the old battered frame with a sleek modern Camaro that felt far more comfortable and clean than the form he’d had to take to be valued within his previous charges purchasing range.

His Holoform was up, his tinted windows would not help if the man went to open his door, he could lock it… but something told him that whoever had gone through all the trouble of leading him here, likely wanted to at least talk, if they weren’t a con trying to offline him at least. Then again, when did a con have the patience let alone subtlety to set a trap this long winded? Certainly none he knew of...

The Valet did indeed reach out, 0pening his door. “Sir, the Orichiono’s await your presence in the main entertainment hall.” The man announced, stepping out of the holoforms way as the blonde and black tip haired teen stepped out, shooting the blank face Valet an odd look.

Orichiono, he quickly made a scan of the World Wide Web.

What he found surprised him, an up and coming billionaire within the global market, who was gaining notoriety for her ability to tell which businesses would prosper and produce the greatest returns within the stock's industry, they hadn’t made a single loss since appearing on the international radar. Something unheard of.

A heavy investor whom seemed to have their hand in every pocket in the world, especially such industries such as the hotel industry, shipping firms and renewable energy, having acquired ownership of some of the most desired places, and companies  on the planet, including the hotel he now stood in.

Clearly this woman had money to burn and expanding her monetary value at a rate of speed which was boggling the minds of those who'd caught notice.

But, she was also beyond illusive, not a single image or video, or even audio recording of this woman seemed to exist. That alone had apparently caused the conspiracy nuts to go wild.

His best bet, she knew about him, how he didn‘t know, and he had every intention of getting to the bottom of it.

Alas, his holoform was just as vocally impaired as his actual form, and he doubted spewing radio clippings from ‘human’ lips would do him any favours.

So when the valet regarded him curiously, he just nodded, shut the door, and walked in the direction the man was now gesturing, up the flight of stairs which led from the underground parking lot and up into the main resort.

After a few minutes of following signs, he found himself in quite a long que, filled with humans far more well dressed than himself in yellow and black dyed leather jacket, black shirt and ripped jeans.

Apparently however, that meant he was swiftly spotted by one of the staff. 

“Sir? Private seating is upstairs, this way.” A young woman called to him, wearing what looked like a traditional receptionist uniform, her voice was a bit on the timid side and she kept her head bowed. “The ladies told us to look out for someone wearing your attire.” One of her closed fists opened up, flashing piece of metal with an insignia on it that he hadn’t seen in Vorns, Neutral. 

Neutrals were here, on Earth, this was a major revelation he’d have to inform Optimus as soon as possible.

And given what he’d just learnt about his ‘host’, their elusive nature suddenly made a lot more sense.

A neutral on a planet which he himself knew Decepticons resided, the best course of action to them was to blend in, and make a life for themselves in this world masquerading as humans.

Being a potentially centuries old Alien being likely aided in some areas that he couldn’t think of as present.

The woman was still waiting for a response, so he nodded, gesturing for her to lead the way.

Three flights of stairs and good few odd looks later, he was being ushered into a private booth, which provided a clear view of the large stage below and the horde of adult humans flocking to fill the seats in the rows and levels below.

A shuffling sound caused him to swing around, finding Mikaela Barnes sitting on one of the plush sofas which lined the booth. 

“H-hey…” 

He gave a wave back which could only be described as equally awkward, gesturing to the sofa she was sitting on.

“Oh! Sure! You can sit! Sorry… I wasn’t told you’d… have a form like this…” She responded, timid smile forming as she shuffled to the furthest side of the sofa as possible, giving him enough room to easily lie down if he so wished.

Was she not aware of ‘Orichiono’s’ true form? Whatever that was? Had the Neutral only interacted with this teen under the guise of a human?

Given her actions however, he chose to follow her lead and sit against the other arm rest, his holoforms bright blue eyes flicking between the empty stage below and the teen in his peripheral.

They sat there in an awkward silence before the scout remembered why he'd driven so far, turning to sit cross legged on the sofa he waved his arm to try and get her attention, humans vision was motion based right? Or was it that giant scary as all frag lizards vision which was motion based?

Thankfully he didn't need to windmill his arms for long to get her tentative attention.

He promptly looked up the hand gesture for glasses, and quickly made it himself, even if he suddenly felt like a complete fool having most of his holoform hands blocking his face, pointer and thumbs connected and pressed over his eyes upside down like a mask with his free fingers wiggling in the air.

She stared at him, dropped jawed, for. a moment he froze, fearing he'd accidentally insulted the human teen, had the World Wide Web been wrong?

Then she burst out into peals of laughter, slapping the arm rest mercilessly.

So, not an insult?

He was way too confused, humans were weird… this entire situation was weird.

He knew that her loud laughter was drawing attention from the humans below, thankfully the balcony hid them from the prying eyes of those disturbed from their own enjoyment.

An equal blessing was that her laughter was quick to die down into muffled snorts behind her hand as her cheeks went red. 

Tilting his head to the side he removed his hands from his face, hoping that that would help somehow, he was still adjusting to human behaviour.

He’d rarely dealt with such peculiar species like this since the exodus of his dying homeworld.

The thought caused his features to sour, and the human quickly shrank into herself, likely misinterpreting the expression. “Oh god, sorry, I… it’s just… the glasses right? That’s what you were trying to say?” 

Thankful for the change in topic, he nodded, opening his hand out, hopefully she’d just hand them over.

She fidgeted. “I… I don’t have them anymore… I gave them to Aria and Wren when I got here, then they sent me here telling me to enjoy the show…” She admitted.

He deflated, dropping his hand back to the sofa, maybe he could write to better communicate… Who were Aria and Wren? Orichiono’s assistants? Minicons? Other? He needed answers...

As if reading his thoughts, she ruffled around in her bag, pulling out a notepad and pen. “Here… I don’t want to insult you by making assumptions… but if you’re still learning our verbal language…”

He quickly grabbed them, popping the cap off without much care of where it went and quickly doing his best to scribble down a response, scanning the World Wide Web to make sure his script didn’t end up looking like  a hybrid of his own and their language.

‘Then why are you still here?’ He spun the notepad so she could see.

She shrugged. “No idea, Kia led me up here, then vanished, she told me to stay put so I did… then you show up…”

‘Kia?’

“Yeah… one of Aria and Wren’s friends, it was her employees that were sent to pick me up from the Lake.” 

‘Aria and Wren?’

“They’re the ones who brought me here yesterday and told me to get the glasses from Sam… they’re… unusual…” So she had yet to interact with ‘Orichiono’? 

‘How so?’ He didn’t want to seem like he was trying to pry all information as possible out of her, but as a scout, it was kinda his job.

“They… They’re… down there…” She was pointing towards the stage.

A woman now stood center stage, their hair and clothing looking like they’d just come out of a chessboard, the skin tight dress clung to their lithe form, one hand holding the brim of an equally black and white top hat, a ribbon wrapped around the base alternating from blue to red, blue on the white side, red on the black.

Tilting his head to the side, he gestured to them and then looked back to the teen who’d moved to sit on the plethora of cushions that sat at the front of the booth, the low front wall making it easy for her to rest her head on her elbows. 

“Yeah… that’s Aria and Wren… that’s what I meant by unusual, two people, one body, they seem to get along pretty well though… looks like contrasting colours is their thing.” She responded with a shrug.

He followed her example of sitting on the cushions, placing the notepad and pen on the lip of the booth wall for a moment before picking up the pen and scribbling another question. 

So Orichiono’s assistants/minicons, were… a permanently linked duo? Did that mean they were inseparable? A rare case of split sparks? Did they become one weapon? Or two? Did they even become a weapon? Something else? Where they just humans working for Orichiono?

‘Is that normal?’

“No, no it’s not… shh, they’re about to start I think.” Mikaela responded.

He raised a blonde eyebrow at her, surely she’d caught onto his muteness.

“I meant no more writing, I wanna focus… Where the hell did that mic come from?” 

The rhetorical question drew his attention back to the women rising the mic to her lips, or was the correct word ‘they’? 

_ “Ladies and Gentlemen! We are glad to welcome you to this night's activities! Here at the world famous Cosmopolitan Hotel and Resort!” _ The chirpy voice came over the speakers above as Arien performed a quick twirl into a pose on stage, the bottom half of her dress flaring out as straps of fabrics attached at their hip flurried out.

“That’s Aria, she’s the more friendly of the two.” Mikaela narrated.

He decided not to comment on the fact that she was being a hypocrite.

_ “Normally we wouldn’t be the ones to open up the show ourselves, but, we have managed to squeeze in this little performance for you, our guests, into our very busy schedule, consider yourselves lucky.” _ The mic had been handed to the other, right hand this time, the voice that came over the speakers being significantly colder and lower.

Left arm reached up and snatched the microphone away.  _ “Oh sister! Always  _ soooooo  _ welcoming to our paying guests! I must apologise! Wren here has a nasty habit of being as welcoming as sandpaper right out of the freezer!”  _

A few members of the crowd laughed at that. Recurring guests?

The microphone was snatched back.  _ “Says the one who can’t help but toss ourselves at anything with a damn pulse, I still haven’t forgiven you for the time you had us hug that porcupine!” _

_ “But he looked lonely! And we only got a few quills stuck in us!”  _

_ “A few?! A few my asscheek! We looked like the victims of a trainee acupuncturist!” _

There was a long moment of silence on the stage as the woman's expression shifted, whilst the audience laughed along to the image, before one of them rolled their eyes.  _ “Alright, you go off and sulk, I’ll go entertain our guests… Sisters am I right? Can’t live with them, and in our case, certainly can’t live without them! Now then, we’ve held you all up long enough, we have an amazing show for you tonight, and I at least, hope you all enjoy! Now then, let’s get this show on the road!” _ With an over exaggerated flourish and bow, the women strut behind the curtains, which began being pulled back a moment later.

The show was a spectacle to say the least, the scout had certainly never seen anything like it, the acrobatic displays were especially thrilling to the mech.

It was an experience in colour, sound and wonder that he’d begun transmitting to his unit, they’d made a few comments to begin with chastising him for wasting his time, but they too soon fell victim to the shows addictive thrills.

The music especially seemed to enthral Jazz, initially slow heavy bass beats caused vibrations to run through his very holoform, it honestly felt like war drums were being used with such vigor that they were calling upon all to rally into a frenzy as the tempo quickly grew faster and faster, matching a racing heartbeat, if he had a heartbeat like the humans around him, he could imagine the feeling of the soundwaves reverberating within him, but, alas, the holoform did not react the same way an organic body would to such sound.

The spectacle quickly rose in tempo too, human formations coming together with the help of launch pads and seesaws as the formations moved and swayed with erratic beats.

He nearly fell from the balcony at one point had Mikaela not acted fast enough to grab the back of his jacket, and with a bit of effort pulled the bashful scout back.

Then the temperature in the room spiked, as if the heat of mid day had suddenly rushed into the venue.

The area, having gone dark to illuminate the vibrant neon colours of the performers, suddenly burst back into bright light and colour with an finalising clamour of sound, the entire stage and the audience seating, even their own booth, suddenly looked straight out of the jungle, the walls and even the cushions they sat upon wrapped in thick vines decorated with flowers of every colour and tone. For a moment he wondered how this was possible, surely this was an advanced use for a holoform, he could feel the energy pulsing through the physical projections that now filled the hall.

It certainly had Ratchet ranting and raving on the other side of the  comm-link.

Arien stood center stage once more, their attire changed, the form hugging dress long gone, replaced by a two piece gown, made of layers of black and white fabric, the black sparkled like the night sky, the white like a canvas decorated with a flurry of black spots , a plume of feathers trailing out behind them to the ground, black and white in a zigzag pattern. The upper half of the dress was made of sweeping fabric fastened tight around their body.

Their twin toned hair traveled down their back, unbidden and free to sway along with the rest of their body, as if they were a Cobra being charmed with a melody only they could hear.

Suddenly everything went silent, like an instinctual notion to not even twitch as the left arm slowly raised up, bringing with it a veil of grey translucent fabric held in place by a band on their wrist.

Then the right followed, they came together, and, in one swift clap, the silence of the stage was destroyed by clamorous calls and an explosion of energy as all those on the stage burst into action.

The lights suddenly flickered violently, some of the audience let off surprised cries and shouts, but all was drowned out.

The music reached a thunderous crescendo within moments, as if the lull of silence was the eye of a powerful storm they were once again thrown into, the war drums now visible on some of the upper levels of the stage which had been brought in earlier in the performance, their players hammering upon them with padded clubs in a frenzied yet well planned out fervour.

Then an echoing, avian screech, an explosion of smoke, and flashing lights came together with  the music like a thunderstorm bearing down upon them with full force.

Bumblebee had to hand it to the humans, they new how to put on a spectacular show…

Then the smoke cleared, and where one once stood, was now two.

The entire hall let off a collected gasp at the two women now standing shoulder to shoulder, one arm raised each, the veils no longer grey, one white, one black.

Bumblebee wasn’t sure how to describe what he was seeing, nor could his unit as they fell deathly quiet over the com-link.

The one on the left was white in their colouration, where black had been on the attire was now grey, and upon the black one, where the white had been, was now grey.

As if they’d simply halved themselves, each taking a body, and yet still showing where the other should be.

Mikaela muttered something under her breath that he didn’t catch, to focused on the new music which was beginning to play, it was synthetic, controlled by electronic instruments on opposite sides of the stage, a steady beat rolling over the crowd, the previous music still played, almost like a backdrop matching the jungle like environment that now surrounded them.

But the main beat was something different entirely, a heavy slow beat that somehow reverberated even lower on the spectrum, even the jungle like holoform around him seemed to shudder.

Even from this distance, he could see the wide smirk that each woman had as they raised the mics to their lips.

_ “Sweet dreams are made of this _ __   
_ Who am I to disagree? _ __   
_ I travel the world and the seven seas _ _   
_ __ Everybody's looking for something”

For a long moment, Bumblebee felt himself consumed by the ethereal sounds that made up those lyrics, the duet beautiful yet hauntingly so, the unison of voices smoother than the finest oil.

But in that beauty, there was an edge, a radiation of the power these two had over the crowd, whom were giving their undivided attention to the two temptresses on stage, their bodies moving with the music in slow motions, mirrored perfectly by one another.

This was surprising, he hadn’t expected this to be the direction the show went in. Speculation had become fact, these two were holoforms, no question.

Which raised the question of, why couldn’t he pick up any other Cybertronian life anywhere within his scanning range? Which was far further than a holoform could be projected.

_ “Some of them want to  _ use  _ you _ __   
_ Some of them want to get  _ used  _ by you _ __   
_ Some of them want to  _ abuse  _ you _ _   
_ _ Some of them want to be  _ abused __ ”

Before he could react, someone had him by the shoulder, had yanked his holoform up, and dragged him, as well as Mikaela out of the booth, the doors shutting on their own and dampening the sound coming from beyond. 

“Alrigh’, that’s enough for tonigh’, yah accommodations, ah ready.” 

He spun to the voice along with Mikaela, finding the completely disinterested expression of a red haired woman wearing an ensemble of clothing that clashed even more than his own with the high class surroundings.

Her red hair was mostly covered by a white beanie, a torn jean jacket over a top with a lit bomb and two skulls against a reddish orange background, lower down on the ensemble was a pair of ripped jean short shorts over a pair of striped red and gold leggings.

A popping sound drew his attention to the gum she was apparently chewing as her right hand played with the red and gold hanging earrings in her right ear.

Mikaela spoke first. “Who are you?”

The woman snorted and gestured for them to follow as she turned on the spot and began almost speed walking down the corridor that led further into the luxurious resort. 

The two exchanged a look and quickly went to follow, keeping a few paces behind and sharing the odd confused look.

They came to a stop in front of an elevator, which the woman pressed her thumb against the call button, he could just make out a line of light running over the button, a thumb scan? To call an elevator?

The door slid open a moment later, and the woman stepped in, gesturing for them to follow. The chatter from his unit had begun again, but he wasn’t honestly paying much attention to what they were saying.

They stepped in, and the woman reached over, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“Imma gonna have tah as’ yah tah cu’ the filmin’.”

He stared at her blankly, how in the name of Primus had she known? There was equal confusion from the rest of his unit as he stared at her, surprised upon realising that the blue in her iris’s was glowing, another holoform? Another Neutral? How many were here? How were they hiding from his…

Everything went numb, he’d been so distracted by his internal questions he’d not felt the sudden rush of another presence in his frame, until they were forcefully shutting down everything via the wireless connection to his alt.

Fear gripped his spark as everything except his vitals and the holoform generator shut down, even the motion of said holoform.

Everything stopped working, he was numb, and was quickly being forced into stasis, the call with his unit cut off abruptly by this femme.

He felt her catch him just before everything went dark.

Mikaela watched in shock as Bumblebee’s form slumped under the woman's touch, she stepped back, pressing herself into the corner of the elevator as the woman easily hefted Bumblebee up into a fireman's carry.

It was so sudden, his shoulder had just lit up around where she had placed her hand, thin wires of orange light burying into him.

Then he’d collapsed, and now she was being stared down by the woman who’d brought them to this elevator, which she felt descending without a single button being pressed.

She wanted to run, but there was nowhere to run to, if she could do that, to an alien, what would she be able to do to her?

“Relax lassie, I ain’ gonna hur’ either of yah. Jus’ needed him playin’ with the fairies so he didn’ ruin the surprise we go’ in store for his buddies.” The red head announced before sticking her hand out. “Ira, Ira Halloran.” The accent was undeniably Irish, a thick one at that.

Ira, this was the last member of the twins small group of friends.

Slowly she reached back out, but hesitated from accepting the offered hand, eyes darting to the blonde and blackette currently slung over the woman’s shoulders, how could she even carry him like that so easily?

“Now listen here lassie, I can’ knock yah out with ah touch, works on tech only. I’d need tah deck yah tah punch yah ligh’s ou’.” Ira announced, leaning further over and grabbing her hand in a firm shake before pulling away just as the elevator doors pinged and opened, revealing a corridor far less done up than the rest of the resort, a staff only corridor?

Ira stepped out, walking down the corridor the elevator opened up to and towards what looked like a large open space up ahead.

“Ah’d move yah ass lassie, tha door’ll be shuttin’ and yah need a scan to come back down again.” Ira called over her currently full shoulders.

Deciding she’d come this far, Mikaela quickly made her way out, the doors beginning to slide shut not a moment after she was clear.

The sound of the elevator going on it’s merry way was akin to a door being shut behind her, for all she knew, she was walking right into a lion's den.

Ira was at the end of the corridor when she looked back, winked and then sucked in a breath…

“WE’RE HOME!”

“YOU DON’T HAVE TO FUCKING SHOUT!” She heard someone else shout back, Kia, it sounded like Kia, but… also not… it sounded… deeper? Why did it sound like something big and metal was moving about just out of view….

“HYPOCRITE!” Ira shouted back before breaking out into a laugh that was borderline maniacal, followed by an elated chuckle as a massive, metal, dark rouge…. Bird foot... came down in front of the exit... of the corridor...

Mikaela stopped walking, jaw dropping as the massive talons then shifted out again moving back to make room for whatever else was about to come into view.

When it did, and massive beady gold eyes locked on her, she sucked in her own breath, and screamed.

When her lungs were all but out of air, she felt the world go dark, and just managed to see the ground rushing up to meet her…

* * *

**Ahhh Ira, always one for creating the drama of life**

**More about the mystery mech later.**

**Well, hope you all enjoyed! Until next time!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Okay! To make up for the long hiatus, I give you a bloody long chapter! 10,000 plus words to be precise! Sorry to everyone who's waiting for Stealth to be updated, my muse did tank for a long while but I am back on the next chapter now and hopefully it will be ready in the coming weeks, but Uni is a demanding affair that must be kept up with, I hope you all understand. Anyway, lots is going to happen this chapter! And I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

**Pentagon**

Jamerson honestly cursed his own vigilance at the current moment.

He didn’t even want to look at what time his ever fateful watch said it was.

It was some god awful hour gone midnight and he hadn’t had his coffee.

Beyond the door he stood next to, he heard the African American teen they’d brought in with the blonde bragging about having eaten the entire plate of donuts. Apparently he thought them giving them the only food left in the cafeteria that night was a test of how guilty he felt.

So, he’d eaten the whole plate.

There’d been what, twenty? Yes, twenty donuts, they’d just dumped all that was left on the plate thinking that it would state the hunger of both.

Clearly that hadn’t been the case.

And he was getting distracted by the eating habits of a teenager.

He needed a shot of caffeine or he’d be keeling over sideways asleep before he could name the Capital he stood in if he wasn’t careful.

“Agent Grant.” The sudden voice jolted him back to full alertness as he quickly saluted. 

“Sir!”

“At ease jungle boy.”  

Turning at the nickname he found himself glaring at Flint. “Would you cut it with the nickname already?” He hissed.

Flint raised his hands in surrender. “Alright, alright, jeez, anyway, looks like we’ve been partnered up to interrogate these two, so, I’ll be good cop, and you be bad cop because you're obviously in a pissy mood already. Here. The files.” He then finished, passing Jamerson the manila folder that he’d had tucked under his arm.

Jamerson gave him a withering look before sighing and nodding, taking the folder and turning the open the locked door.

All it took was for him to drop the folder on the table for the gluttonous kid to break.

He honestly caught very little of what he was rambling about over the blonde's constant attempts to get him to shut up.

He decided to help her, banging his fist down on the table hard enough to get the empty crumb covered plate to jump.

Instantly there was silence.

He turned his attention to the blonde. “Maggie Madsen, you were caught having stolen top secret information out of the Pentagon. Then passing it onto a hacker. This man. You’ve got some explaining to do. Both of you. But you’re going to go first because clearly this young man can’t keep his own tongue in check.” 

Flint frowned. “Yo, what kinda cop you playin’?” He hissed into Jamerson’s ear.

Jamerson responded with a look between all three. “I’m playing myself, and myself has a nice warm bed that this mess is keeping me from. So I ain’t gonna play around with this shit.”

He saw the kid gulp and Maggie shrink back a bit in her chair.

“Okay… I know what I did was wrong, but I knew that Glen here would be able to crack this thing. I was right. The first hacker… it’s like nothing we’ve ever seen, and there’s mentions of these things like ‘Cube’ and ‘Allspark’, hidden within the code, those are what we think were used to search through the files. But then, as we all know, the second signal cut it off before it got anywhere. And it’s that second signal, that Glen found out the most.” 

Glen nodded, taking over at Jamerson’s skeptical look towards the teen. “Right! I know the hacker who did this! I recognise their work!” 

Now that, was interesting. 

“Who. Who’s the hacker who emptied our files in Qatar? Who are they affiliated with?” His tone was firm, leaving no room for the kid to squirm out a half truth.

“A new hacker to the global scene, I only noticed her a few months back when word of her hacking clean through a Russian base in Siberia’s security system got out onto the forums, someone managed to get snapshots of the codes she used to bust right through the firewalls. I ain’t ever seen anything like it man!  It was… almost… rotting the systems from the inside, destroying even the coding the security systems was made up of, nothing was spared, not even the heating system! An I don't know who they're working with.” Jamerson was losing his patience, and one firm glare got that message across. “Right, basically, no one's able to even remotely match her speed, skills, nothing, and she has a calling card, one of my buddies over in Tokyo found it hidden within the code they managed to copy and contain so it didn’t wreck their systems too. The calling cards a wing, specifically a Red Kite wing, with the word Halloran, printed over the feathers. Means ‘Stranger from across the sea’, weird huh? I mean, that birds from Europe, so I guess it works…” 

Jamerson frown deepened. Halloran… he recognised that from somewhere… 

Then it hit him. 

“Ira… Ira Halloran…” 

Glen tilted his head towards Jamerson. “Come again? You tellin’ me you know this chick?”

Jamerson didn’t pay him any attention.

He was already pacing in front of the table. “You said you’d never seen hacking like this.” He remarked.

Glen nodded. “Yeah man, never seen code like that.”

“Like it was from the future…”

Glen sent him a look of cautious concern. “You lost me.” 

Maggie spoke up then. “What are you talking about?”

Flint was also giving his partner a very confused look. “Dude, care to share?”

Jamerson didn’t respond, going back to his pacing. 

None of this made sense, they said they wanted to go home… 

Arien even gave him that memory stick as a parting gift…

The memory stick…

If Ira was able to hack…

The realisation that dawned on him then was one of impassable horror, his heart dropping into his gut as he realised what he should of two years ago.

“No.... no… no… no no no no nononononoNO!” 

He shoved Flint out of the way and sprinted from the interrogation room.

“Jamerson! Hey! Wait up!” Flint shouted after him, trying to keep pace with the sprinting agent.

Surprisingly, even Maggie and Glen were chasing after him, though the later was struggling to even keep pace with his friend.

He made a beeline through the building to his personal desk, scrabbling for a moment before tearing the device from the port.

The green light flickered out, but he felt it was nothing but a hollow victory.

They'd had access to their systems for over two years.

And no one had even noticed.

There wasn't anything advanced enough to detect it.

Just like the second hack on Qatar.

After all, what was a better tool for hacking a computer, than a sentient one from the future?

Flint came to a stop next to him, followed soon after by Maggie, Glen, and a few of the night guards who'd tried to stop the later two from going into the room, but not being fast enough to stop them.

“What the hell was that all about?” Flint demanded.

Jameson turned to him with a haunted look in his eyes. 

“We’ve been compromised. They've had access to our systems the whole time… they've probably got copies of everything I'd bet. And all because I stupidly used this device.” The hand holding the device clenched almost in an attempt to break the memory stick, no luck, the metal it was made of didn't even strain under his shaking grip.

“Who? Who's compromised the system?” Maggie asked.

Jamesom took a deep breath, once he admitted this, he could pretty much say goodbye to his career.

“The Harpies. The beings who saved my life in the Amazon over two years ago… and I stupidly used their parting gift to give them access to potentially the entirety of the USA's Government systems… We need to raise the alarm.”

Not even a moment after saying that, one of the other agents burst into the room.

“Someone get the Secretary of Defense on the line! Or anyone! We're getting mass responses from every space research station and radar center of hostile virtual takeovers! We’re blind!”

Jameson felt like his gut couldn't drop further than it did right then.

Glen was the one to speak then. “I got my money on Halloran.”

Jamerson scowled and spun on the man.

“For all we know, there’s a Nuke coming our way because one of our enemies just knocked out our systems so that we couldn’t see it coming! That’s what they’ve been doing! Weakening our systems so we can’t defend against such attacks! Oh God… I’ve doomed us all.”

* * *

**Beneath the Cosmopolitan**

Winston let off what had to be the hundredth resigned sigh of the night as he once again glanced at where Mikaela was strewn out on the couch in the moderately sized human common area, his form primarily turned away from the still unconscious teen as he worked to make something for her to eat when she came around, something healthy preferably...

But Ira’s passion for junk food made it difficult to find anything for the teen to eat without putting her health at risk.

Speaking of potential health risks the man’s gaze then shifted to the Alien masquerading as a Camero down on the ground floor of the massive basement of the Cosmopolitan. Or at least the spot on the floor that he assumed he’d be able to see the Alien Camaro if he was Superman. Alas that was the not the case.

Yes he understood the full situation, yes he knew that they technically posed no threat to himself or any of his co-workers.

But this was an actual alien… not transdimensional humans who’d found themselves trapped in Alien bodies… This was a whole new ball game for the man.

But as Aria had rightly exclaimed when she realised what Ira had done upon arriving back after the end of the show, the act of knocking one of the Aliens unconscious for the sake of not wanting to deal with questions, was likely to sour any relations with the rest of his unit that had been desired by the four.

Exclaimed was a soft word, given the fact that they’d grabbed Ira by the top of her ear and given her her rights whilst dragging the younger woman around in a frog march whilst yelling repeatedly about how stupid she’d been.

He was honestly surprised that the spectacle didn’t wake Mikaela or the Alien.

Especially when Arien had then turned their attention on Kia whom had been the cause of Mikaela passing out.

Letting off another sigh he remembered how the whole situation had been brought to his attention, at ten in the evening nonetheless, he’d been just rolling into bed when they’d called and asked him to come check on her, giving that she’d hit the ground before Ira, the only who could of reached her in time, had noticed the fact that the sudden appearance of Kia’s beast form had sent the poor teen into a state of unconsciousness, after apparently, a very loud vocal outburst.

She had no significant harm to body, though the likelihood of her freaking out when she came too was a lot higher than any long term cognitive damage…

Finishing up the small, moderately healthy snack, he glanced at his laptop, which he’d brought with him to finish his work, which he had already completed, now it was just playing CSN, the news focused solely on the reported emergency landing of Airforce one, with reports of gunfire and a sudden, thankfully non-crippling, decompression from the hull bay doors opening.

The news agencies were already in a state of frantic conspiracy over what could of caused it, thankfully no one had the ludicrous notion which was actually the reality.

Though the massive tears in the fuselage was also raising a lot of concern, theories such as a dangerous high altitude monster threatening the airways, to sabotage, to more damage done by large objects being flung loose from the moorings inside during the decompression and causing the  damage.

Giant Sentient mechanical birds of prey were thankfully not something that anyone wanted to stake their credibility on, even if they had the pre-existing knowledge of them existing like himself.

Speaking of the Harpies, not long after he’d arrived, he’d watched all four race down the main exit tunnel, the massive structure had only recently been completed, a full ten miles of tunnel out of Vegas which slowly angled up so that when they reached the end, lunging into the air was a breeze in the final vertical segment of the tunnel, it was yet to be fully lit though, so the Harpies had to rely on their ‘unique’ and very loud method of ‘echolocation’ to guide them through.

Their exit in general was even louder than Arien had been giving their friends the what for, given that, despite their low density for flight, they were still made of metal, and they were effectively running down a massive echo tunnel. Add to that Arien’s pede damage and you’ve got quite the unholy ruckus. 

At least the Twins were able to run with the damaged pede, it was a lot better now than it had been when he’d first been introduced to the group, back when the largest member of the group could hardly make it from one side of the underground hangar to the other without collapsing. That being said it was still nowhere near fixed and more their tolerance to the pain was higher after all of this time.

Soundproofing was a blessing really in this situation.

A groan from the sofa caught his attention as Mikaela finally began to come around.

“Ah good, I was getting worried I’d be waiting till tomorrow afternoon for you to wake up.” He announced, trying to keep his tone quiet so as to avoid jolting the poor teen too much, she’d already had a lot loaded on her over the last two days, she didn’t need anymore now, though that was inevitable.

“Ugh… Winston?” The teen guessed, rubbing the area she’d hit her head.

“Yes, just me I’m afraid. Don’t be alarmed now, you’ve had enough excitement for now… Peanut Butter and Jelly?” He responded, offering the small stack of sandwiches.

Mikaela was quick to accept one, unsure of the time she figured she’d been out a long while, given her stomach was less than happy at the moment.

“Thank you... “ She quickly wolfed down the first one, before she picked up the second however, she looked around, taking in the massive hangar like structure they were in, at present they were on a raised platform, decked out with a full kitchen, a cluster of sofas, even a pool table, and a TV in the corner that was currently turned off.

The rest of the massive structure was comparatively empty, a few large rolling doors leading off to other areas you could fit an upright space shuttle through, and the massive open space they were in broken up by the odd massive concrete pillar and hanging lights from high above.

Said lights were at present dimmed, leaving most of the place in a dark hue which made picking anything else out quite difficult.

“W-where are we?” She asked, finally picking up another sandwich that Winston had placed down on the sofa cushion next to her. In her observation she'd managed to eat the entire of the second sandwich.

Letting out a slight grunt the large man sat down on the over end of the Sofa. “We, are in a little known bunker under the Cosmopolitan, the Harpy’s had it commissioned just after they bought the entire resort out from the previous owner.” He answered.

“H-Harpy’s?” 

He nodded. “Yes, the Harpy’s, it’s what Aria, Ira, Kia and Wren call themselves, apparently, before they got tossed into our world they went by the codename to prevent them being tracked, hid how many of them there were at the top , since they’ve arrived here, it’s become a lot more... literal.” He answered.

Mikaela sucked in a breath, nearly choking on her most recent bite.

“So… the… thing… I saw? That wasn’t a…”

“A dream? No, what you saw was Kia, she hadn’t been alerted to your presence and so approached in her… ‘true form’ you could say... “ He reached over and placed a massive comforting hand on her shoulder. “ I know it’s a lot to take in, but if you’re willing to give it time, you get used to it. Becoming like this wasn’t their choice, they’ve had a lot of hurdles to adapt to in the last few years.”

Mikaela took in a deep breath before letting it out. “This is too weird… Metal Aliens from space and Metal former human bird… things from an alternate reality… shit this sounds like the plot of some stupid Sci-fi film.” 

Winston chuckled at that, patting her shoulder. “I’ve thought the very same thing every now and then…”

“Where are they now?”

Winston hummed for a moment. “Not really sure exactly, but I know that this place is likely to become quite a bit fuller soon.”

Evidently she was able to piece together what that meant. “They’re going to meet the other… the other Aliens… wait! Where’s Bumblebee?!” She suddenly exclaimed, jumping up and looking around.

Winston chuckled again, it sounded more like a low rumble, and gestured to the railings which prevented a nasty tumble down to the actual ground floor.

On shaky legs Mikaela rushed for the railings, barely catching herself on them as her gaze shot down.

Sure enough, the yellow and black paint was visible in the low light, as well as the strewn out form of his human projection....

Projection, that must of been what she’d been talking to when she was speaking with any of the… Harpies.

Glancing back over her shoulder she found Winston back over by the laptop playing the news  on the kitchen countertop, seemingly entranced by whatever was on the news.

How could he be so fine with all this? 

* * *

**Somewhere outside of Vegas**

Before he’d even finished transforming, Optimus Prime knew he was being watched, the dark night was only lit by the small bush fires his landing had caused, leaving the organic world surrounding him in pitch blackness, the moon of this planet currently completely hidden by darkness.

His com-link was off, his unit already all clear on the plan to meet up at the Primes location, from there, they would seek out their unresponsive scout.

The mere thought of Bumblebee being in danger had his armourless fists curling, whoever that human was, they had some explaining to do.

But there was still that feeling of being watched, of eyes, optics? Bearing down upon him.

Craning his helm up, he regarded the star filled sky above, trying to map out the stars from this Planet's upper hemisphere.

That was when he spotted stars disappear, then quickly reappear high above, the size of the void too large to be a native creature.

And the faint, barely audible sound of something mechanical.

As if his realisation had been picked up, whatever it was moved into a dive, the black void growing larger and larger.

The sound of something beating the air… wings? The humans didn’t have…

Whatever it was, landed, just beyond where the light of the quickly dwindling bushfires lit.

Something groaned, like metal being forced into a position it did not want to be in.

Then, came a chuckle, low, with a slight hitch half way through. “My, my, looks like our... childhood fantasy… has finally… become reality…” They were moving, circling him like a predator would with injured prey, the voice was accented, but undeniably that of a femme.

His audios caught the sound of that groaning metal with every other pede step, for a brief moment he considered that whomever this was, they were injured, the sound was telling enough.

But his attention quickly snapped back to caution when he realised they had gone full circle around him, and the silhouette that blocked the mountains was surprisingly large for a femme.

Up to the top of his chassis.

Not even Elita-1 was that tall.

And he couldn’t see the glow of optics, perhaps hidden behind a visor?

Or was this somebot simply without Optics?

He decided to speak. “Who are you? Identify yourself. How did you know I would be here?” 

The figure remained silent before another sound, like rustling tin leaves reached his audios, then, and only then did this femme answer.

“In due time Optimus Prime, explanations will come once you and your unit have reunited, preferably with us all tucked safely away in our little hidey hole. It’s hardly safe to remain out here where any random scanner could pick us up after all.” They responded, their voice suddenly a lower, colder tone than he’d first heard, which had been lighter, more playful.

He paused for a moment, before nodding. “Very well… But I must enquire, you are one of the Neutrals who lured my scout are you not?”

There was a brief pause before the femme...s? Answered, the lighter tone responding.

“Never one to miss a beat it seems… but yes. We used Mikaela and the glasses to lure you here.” 

Then they admitted it, he felt his fists clenching again. “Why? Why attack our scout?”

The sound of the Neutral taking a step back reached his audios, no groan that time.

“That really did look bad didn't it?” A sigh from their vents. “Allow us to apologise for our friends actions, without a doubt they were uncalled for, but Ira rarely thinks straight when she's tired and she'd only just returned from a very strenuous task. She simply did not want to deal with both your Scout and Mikaela's questioning so she… knocked him out simply put.” They responded, the lighter tone remained, sounding honestly remorseful over the incident to the Prime's audios.

He decided to take a step forward, the bushes around his landing crater had all but burnt out, plunging him fully into the darkness.

“Why go through such trouble?”

There was a huff, like a laugh with none of the humour.

“We've lived on this planet long enough to know that the humans are best avoided, especially if they are fueled by power over the majority, we've found a few humans we can trust, but they can hardly stop armies of their kind. Because of that, we thought it best to at least help you settle here safely without drawing unwanted attention.” The lower tone answered, their voice cynical. 

His helm tilted to the side slightly. “And how long have you been on this planet?”

“Long enough to fall victim to one of their traps.”

They took another step and that same grinding sound was heard by the Primes Audios.

That just confirmed it. “They harmed you?”

A huff. “Not intentionally, the majority of humans do not know we exist, another reason to lead you away from heavily populated places to keep  _ you  _ from exposing the lot of  _ us  _ with your dramatic entrances!”

There was an accusatory tone in their voice for a brief moment then, evidently his units sudden arrival had forced their servo in someway.

Before he could respond, the lighter tone spoke up.

“As much as we’d love to stand out here in the cold night, I think it’s best we get this show on the road, oh, could you possibly tell your medic to back off Ira a smidge? He’s currently choking her out.” 

The complete deadpan way they said that statement urged one of his optic ridges to raise, but he decided to check on his unit anyway.

_ “Ratchet?” _

What came back over the comlink was a very graphic and extreme screaming match of Cybertronian and a very odd sounding language he’d never heard before, along with a lot of just outright screaming, banging of metal on metal, and the pandamonium which came over the com-link at such a volume his audios shorted for a moment.

So loud that the femme(s) in front of him snorted, evidently they could hear it as well it was so loud.

He tried again.  _ “Ratchet? What seems to be the issue?” _

_ “PRIME! NOW IS NOT THE TIME!” _

_ “Is oh go bhfuil an Príomh-? HI OPTIMUS! Aria! Wren! Níorbh fhéidir leat seo a fháil asal grumpy d'aois chun aonaigh mé ?! Chaith mé díreach tar éis a bheith ag bonn ag dó! Geallaim! Ceart go leor go raibh sé trí thine! Ach tá sé seo le beagán de thar an imoibriú barr!”  _

He paused.  _ “What?” _

“She said ‘Oh is that the Prime? HI OPTIMUS! Aria! Wren! Could you get this grumpy old ass to let me go?! I just threw a tire at him! I swear! Ok it was on fire! But this is a bit of an over the top reaction!’” The lighter tone pitched in, evidently they could understand that language, and that their names were Aria and Wren… so two individuals, he was beginning to view this femme as something akin to the Decepticon Blitzwing, only with two personas instead of three.

_ “Grumpy old ass huh?! I’ll show you old you little punk! You nearly took my helm off with that thing!” _

“Ira for the love of my sanity could you for once not be such a pyromaniac?!” The lower tone huffed, he could practically picture them folding their arms over their chassis.

_ “Riamh!” _

“God damnit. Ira, behave, I do not want to give you another talking to today and I doubt you want that too. It is too god damn late at night for you to be pulling your usual shit!” 

A strange growling huff came over the com-link as the sounds of struggling finally died off.  _ “Oh fine! Only cause ah don’ wan’ you yanking my audios again, damn, Arrrrriiiiiaaaaaaaaa~ tell your sister to be nicer to me!” _

“Ira, I’m am one hundred percent on Wren’s side here, it’s too bloody late for you to be flinging flaming tires again… wait… if you two are getting along so… well… what about Kia? She went to get Ironhide? Right?”

That was when the com-link was joined, not by the aforementioned Weapons specialist, Optimus was beginning to wonder how these Neutrals knew the designations of his mechs, instead, it was Jazz.

_ “Prime! There is a bunch of fragging giant birds dive bombing me! They’ve got me pinned in a cave! This planet is way more wigged out then ah thought it’d be! Oh Primus they’re back!” _

The com-link cut off and he turned his gaze back to the femmes as the silhouette of their form grew significantly and the sound of metal on metal reached him.

“... What were we thinking sending those three to get him?” The lower tone, Wren, the lower tone was Wren, he’d been able to put that together from ‘Ira’s’ pleas which were still coming over the com-link as Ratchet maintained his firm hold on the femme. 

“... Hera at least has never failed before, maybe he landed on something and they’re more interested on the meat stuck on him? They’re easily distracted by food after all.” Aria then respond, clearly having a conversation with her other half.

_ “If I’m allowed to put my two sense in here, maybe, now hear me out, this is just a maybe, but did we really have to go through all that trouble to get these dolts away from trouble, only for one to very nearly wring my neck out?! Yes I dealt the first blow, but I’m really not in the mood for any of this shit anymore and I’d love to know if our beloved twins agree with me when I say that I’d be much happier sleeping the next few days then deal with any of this?!”  _

“Ira shut up, we know you're tired and cranky, just kick him in the crotch and fly back to the roost if your that done with everything.” Aria huffed, clearly their exasperation was growing quickly as well.

_ “Like I haven’t already tried that! He’s got me pinned! And my feathers are getting filthy! I’ll be up till mid day trying to get all of this damn scrap out!”  _

“Feathers?” The Prime inquired, a quick scan of the World wide web alerted him to the fact that they were lightweight constructs which allowed the organic ‘Birds’ of this planet to produce lift and fly, said creatures were, seemingly regardless of species, very meticulous in their preening… they used wings to fly, like the wing beats he’d just heard before Aria and Wren’s arrival…

More questions were arising than he could really keep track off. 

“Ugh… this is getting us nowhere… Optimus I must apologise for our friend, she’s highly irritable when she’s like this and rarely thinks about consequences to her actions.” Wren spoke, now that he thought of it, ‘Wren’ was a strange name for a femme, as was ‘Aria’, where they abbreviations? 

‘Wren’ was as far as the world wide web was concerned, a sub group of eighty eight seperate bird species of incredibly small size, which also had a similarly named secondary group native to the Oceana Continent who seemed to have far brighter plumage to add to their still tiny size.

‘Aria’ was apparently a type of song sung as a solo. 

“Let us try and right the course of this discussion, those two can avoid killing each other for a few more minutes surely.”

He nodded, deciding that working out the next course of action would likely be for the best, instead of musing why their designations were so odd.

That was when he received a com-link request, origin, directly in front of him. 

“We wish to transfer a pack of potential alt modes for you and your unit, as well as the location of a hidden entrance into our home, given this rocky introduction thanks to Ira, we will understand that you likely do not trust us enough to simply go in blindly to our home so soon after arriving on this planet. After all, what reason do you have now to trust us?”

That was a very fair question. “Your… methods, shall we say, have been less than, desirable.” He responded.

The femmes huffed, he might of just said the wrong thing. “And if you’d stuck on your original trajectory you would of alerted the majority of the largest superpower on this planet to not only your existence, but potentially ours as well, you were set to land in one of the biggest cities in this damn country. On top of that, we had no way of directly communicating with you without risking alerting the Decepticons already on this planet to our existence. So we had to do this, as undesirable an outcome as this is.” Wren responded, a noticeable bite in their voice as they answered him.

“We did what we could because we wanted to help you, not make enemies on this planet, we’re just, not very good at it, we… have always been quite… socially inept.” Aria added, he made out their silhouette shifting, as if anxious. “Are you… going to accept the pack? We’ve already sent it, you did get it right? We’re not quite sure if our communication system works with yours…”

Jolting slightly at that he realised he had received the package, but he found himself prevented from opening it out of curiosity by Ratchet.

_ “Don’t do it Prime! It could be a virus!” _

_ “Oh  _ fuck  _ yah too then!  _ ah _ made tha’ fraggin’ alt mode pack! I had tah fraggin’  _ buy _ each and  _ every one _ of their patents tah have full access tah their schematics! Not tah mention how long it fraggin’ took meh tah  _ find  _ vehicles suitable for all yah frames once ah managed to ge’ long range scans of you bastards! Do you have any  _ Idea  _ in tha’ damn processor of yahs how much of a  _ fraggin’ chasm _ in mah bank account there is for you, no!? I COULDA BOUGH’ AH THIRD WORLD COUNTRY WITH THA’ MONEY YAH MOTHA FRAGGER! MAR SIN, DUL SCRIÚ BÓ!”  _ Ira’s incredibly insulted shout was enunciated at the end by a very loud clang of metal on metal, followed by a very pained groan from the medic just before the com-link cut out.

What filled the empty space, was the faintest, most lilting giggle he’d barely ever caught with his audios.

Then.

“SHE DID WHAT WE TOLD HER FOR ONCE!”

“SHE KICKED HIM IN THE DICK!”

Then he was surrounded by two types of laughter and the sound of them actually crashing to the floor, the laughters cutting over each other, one lilting and and the other rumbling guffaws.

Dick?

What was a dick?

_ “Ironhide come in, I have a question to ask? Do you know what a… dick is? Apparently Ratchet has just had that part of him kicked… Ironhide? Ironhide?”  _ The lack of response was concerning.

There was no response from the other side, not even a confirmation that the link had gone through to his weapons specialist.

Maybe it was a good thing that Ironhide hadn’t picked up, something told him the mech would be little help in this situation.

Given it was clearly an uproarious topic.

“Heck hem… alright… back to business…. Damnit… this whole thing’s gone sideways off a cliff. Ugh… so much for good first impressions…” Aria’s voice suddenly cut off the laughter coming from the two as they apparently sorted themselves out.

He tilted his helm to the side. “I must agree… this… greeting seems to of gone off the rails.”

“Should we start from the top?”

“Yes, but quickly, my weapons specialist, Ironhide is not responding to me, given you’ve obviously…”

“He banged his helm on a boulder whilst landing, Kia is trying to rouse him as we speak, though she is not having much success, now then, from the top, Optimus Prime, it is a pleasure to meet you, I am Wren, along with my sister Aria, we are the unofficial leaders of our small group of neutrals, whom, have resided on this planet for a number of years. In that time we have been able to garner significant information and success within the human world by integrating into their society with the use of our holoforms. The reason we have brought you here is because of that information, seek out the Allspark without our words of caution, and you will have a very unsavoury surprise waiting for you on your attempt to reclaim the Allspark… or destroy it, depending on how much of a Martyr you’re feeling like Prime.” Wren declared, they moved forwards, stepping to his right side until they were parallel. There was a bite in their tone, an accusation.

The words hung in the air, and he felt a sliver of fear touch his spark, how had they known about his final resort? He had not even discussed it with his mechs…

He offered his right servo out, as if to shake. “Aria and Wren, I am thankful for your attempts to help us, despite how circumstance has turned this meeting. From what I have gathered, it is a custom on this planet to shake servos in greeting?” He spoke, waiting for a physical response from the other.

He got it, he felt something long and thick press into his servo, and his attempt to close his servo around it proved fruitless given the girth prevented a complete closure of his servo.

For a brief moment he pondered if they’d just dumped a piece of metal into his servo, but he felt it push up and down, causing his arm and servo to at least go through the motion of shaking. “I was… expecting a servo.”

They chuckled, and Aria responded. “We have no servo to give you Prime, our arms are all currently trying to herd Jazz to our roost. You’ll have to do with the limbs we do currently have available.”

“You, are armless?”

“Yes. It is a difficult predicament to live with, technically we still have the same struts that make ‘arms’ function, it is simply the fact that ours are not designed to to function the same way as yours so to speak.” Wren responded this time as whatever he was holding pulled away, revealing itself to be a long,  slightly curved, conical structure which took a good while to taper off.

But in that time, he felt something he hadn’t further up, the brush of strange, fibrous structures which bent and shifted around his digits as they were pulled by.

Feathers.

Metallic feathers, not decoration like he had assumed was what Ira had been complaining about.

These femmes, did not have them as decoration, but as a functioning part of their anatomy.

It explained the rustling which came with each breeze and the lack of transformation when they were approaching from the air.

Their bipedal form was perfectly able to remain airborne, something he’d previously only found with those who had the function of having thrusters, which these two did not have.

He was getting off track once again, so he returned his attention to addressing these strange femmes. “You…”

“How about we continue this at our roost if you do decide to join us within our residence, I do not mean to sound rude, but we did not intend for this to stretch out as long, and we are quickly feeling the effects of exhaustion, we must depart for our roost now lest we risk falling out of the sky on the way home.” Aria interrupted, the femmes stepped back and their wings, not arms, full blown wings stretched out in preparation to take off. “If you decide against joining us, we shall give the knowledge we have gathered  to Bumblebee once he has arisen, then we will send him back to you to relay our information.” 

They took another step back, and he heard the grinding sound again. “What of you?” He enquired.

They took a moment to answer. “We will manage, damaged talons are damaged talons, we’ve lived well enough so far, we had hoped to trade our knowledge for your medic repairing, or at least taking a look at the damage, but it is not something we will force… if you do not come, we will give Bumblebee the information for when he regroups with you, good night Optimus Prime.” Wren responded.

Then their wings were beating, the massive limbs almost blowing back the Prime as they quickly ascended into the sky.

What followed next, he had no preparation for.

An echoing, near deafening animalistic screech to the stars above which seemed to shake the night sky itself.

By the time he managed to pull his servos away from his audios, they were long gone, and in the far distance, he heard likely equally loud screeches responding to the call.

_ “By Primus ah think they got bored of meh…”  _ Jazz suddenly called over the com link.

_ “Are you in anyway damaged?”  _ He enquired. Aria and Wren had mentioned sending a group after the short mech

_ “Only cosmetic, crazy things kept trying to drag me of the cave! The biggest one managed to get my whole arm out of the cave at one point!”  _ The mech exclaimed.

_ “Hmm, likely because they were supposed to lead, if not drag you to the location we are now to go to ourselves.” _

_ “.... Come again? Ah think mah audios are failin’ me Prime, tell me you didn't just say we're going to the place those crazy things were trying to carry me off to?!” _

_ “Jazz, they are neutrals trying to help us. Our arrival has risked potentially exposing them to both human kind and the Deceptions. They have information that will help us in our quest. Finally, two of them are injured, badly I fear.” _

_ “... Oh… so, they didn' tell yah tha information?” _

_ “It would seem they wish to trade the information for medical attention, but have given us the option of not going, if we do not go, they have promised to tell Bumblebee before he departs them so he may tell us.” The Prime responded. _

_ “So… you've decided to trust them?” _

_ “They didn't intended for yours and Ratchets interactions to go so foul.” _

_ “What happened tah Hatchet?” _

_ “Apparently one of the Neutrals did not have the patience to be courteous and instead flung a flaming tire at him, it would seem they had a very vocal and agitated interaction before the neutral drew a blow which Ratchet has yet to recover from, in his… dick?”  _ It was then that it finally dawned on the Prime what that was, and almost immediately felt a shadow pain go through that very same area for himself, yes, that would be quite a difficult blow to remain fully functional afterwards _. _

_ “Sounds like they're pretty hostile tah meh.” Jazz responded. _

_ “They were rebuked for their actions by the two who came to welcome me.” _

_ “They didn’ harm yah did they Prime?” _

_ “No, nothing of the sort, it was an… interesting interaction. But my decision still stands, once Ratchet and Ironhide are operational, we will seek out the Neutrals hiding place.” _

_ “Understood Prime, not quite feelin’ yah confidence, but, understood, besides, what kinda mechs would we really be if we didn't try and help those in need.” _

The Prime felt a small smile grace his faceplates, reassured to hear that Jazz was still a mech of impeccable morals.

It was Ratchet who responded to the call first, albeit it took the Prime a level of patience worthy of  a gods, and a lot of persuasion to convince the seething medic of the fact that, whilst his experience was… painful, there was a pair of injured neutrals who did require medical aid, and that he would have to swallow his damaged pride.

By the time he'd managed that feat, Ironhide had finally come around from stasis and had been filled in by Jazz.

Once all of his present unit was up to speed, he opened the data pack.

No traps, no viruses, nothing present of ill intent was found when he opened the pack and regarded the many vehicles, colour schemes, everything down to licences for each potential vehicle form, and most importantly, coordinates.

It took only a few moments for them to pick out ones that pleased them most, their processors left intrigued at the fact the Neutrals somehow knew of their preferred individual colour schemes, though the flame paint job that was offered to Optimus within the layout of the pack did earn a round of humour from his mechs.

He was half tempted to take the flame paint, but decided to go with the colour scheme that had always been his, red white and blue, apparently this country they were in viewed those colours as highly patriotic.

Once their respective alt modes where fully integrated, the four mechs set off over the rough untamed terrain, headlights illuminating the dry land before them.

The Primes curiosity warred within his processor with his focus on the task at hand, wondering what these neutrals could possibly look like, with wings instead of arms, how that would prevent such simple actions as holding one's own cube of energon.

The silence over the com links was now to prevent any nearby by potential Decepticons or humans picking up on their conversations only aided in the wandering of his processor as it contemplated what warning these beings would give for their search for the Allspark.

So much so was his distraction, that it took Ironhide's warning shout from directly to his left to alert the Prime that they had reached the coordinates given.

A giant metal door in the ground, with their headlights illuminating it, the steel was easily spotted under the camouflage which would hide it from view of any who were not aware it was there.

Transforming back to his full height once more the Prime regarded the gateway to the Neutrals hideout with his mechs, on the horizon, a sprawling human city illuminated by millions of lights of seemingly every colour under the sun.

That was where Bumblebee was, he had been in one of those buildings in his holoform when one of the Neutrals, Ira, took him out.

A sudden hissing noise from the massive doors drew his and his mechs attention into it fully as the doors parted revealing an inky black void beyond where the lights on their chassis could not reach.

A near vertical drop existed before them.

“Whoa… any bot here thinks there's ah trap down there?” Jazz inquired, squatting to try and get a better view. “Cause damn, be a pretty damn good spike trap.”

Optimus took a moment of pause to regard all three mechs before stepping forwards and turning around so that he could begin climbing down the grooves, surprised to find significantly sized grooves ringing the wide tunnel, likely to support the aerial capacity of its residents.

“If it worries you so their trustworthiness in not setting a trap for those whom they seem to want to help, then I will go first.” He finally responded just before his helm disappeared over the lip.

“You weren't the one to be physically assaulted Prime.” Ratchet remarked in rebuff for how trusting the Prime was in the face of this unknown.

“You’ve had worse.”

With that not exactly snark free response, the towering mech continued his climb down, quickly finding he could once again stand fully upright  as the tunnel leveled out into a banked chamber, another wider tunnel directly to his left, towards the City on the horizon, it became clear to the Prime that this entrance was more suited for those with flight capacity but was still tall enough for him to comfortably walk down, though he did have to stoop his helm ever so slightly if he did not want to scrape the top of his helm.

Craning his helm up, he could see his units figures looking over the lip of the entrance down at him.

“Autobots! The path is clear!” He called up, banging his pede to the ground for emphasis.

With a bit of grumbling from Ratchet that Optimus couldn’t quite make out, the three mechs cautiously made their way down into the large chamber which stretched out around them.

Jazz let out a noise of appreciation as his headlights searched around the large but mostly bare chamber. “Gotta give it to them, this place is huge!”

Ironhide was about to respond to the smaller mech when he realised that Optimus was already walking down the unlit tunnel ahead of them. “Prime! Wait! There could be more traps!” He shouted.

“Prime! Wait! There could be more traps!” Echoed back from the tunnel.

Jazz snorted. “Yeah mech, yah vocaliser on replay.” 

He got a whack over the helm from the weapons specialist for that one, but the three mechs were quick to follow after their Prime. 

“There are no traps Ironhide.” The Prime responded, continuing his steady pace towards wherever the tunnel ended.

Letting out a disgruntled vent Ratchet sped up enough to fall into step with his Prime. “So, the trade is I treat them, for information?” 

Optimus nodded. “Yes Ratchet, Aria and Wren require medical assistance.” 

Ratchet huffed. “Do you know what is damaged?”

“One of their pedes, it was damaged in a human trap, I could not see it, but it would seem that the damage is significant enough for it to warrant a significant overhaul, it sounded akin to a half mangled joint, damaged enough to cause discomfort, but not enough to completely cripple.” The Prime responded, trying to explain an injury he had been unable to see was not an easy feat in the slightest.

“Then why would both of them need repair if only one is injured?” Ratchet questioned.

Optimus paused in his steps and regarded the medic. “They are twins Ratchet, same frame twins.” 

He watched as the CMO’s jaw dropped slightly, and in his peripheral he saw Ironhide and Jazz exchange a look.

“Impossible… the only case… Blitzwing was a  _ Decepticon  _ experiment gone wrong! Every mech worth his armour knows that Prime! This could very well be another!” 

“Ratchet.”

“Such a phenomenon is impossible outside of that!”

“Ratchet…”

“Who knows how unstable their mental capacity is!”

“Ratchet!” The Prime shouted, cutting off the medic. 

“Ratchet!” Echoed back.

The CMO paused in his rant.

“We will discuss this, later.” Optimus stated firmly, before continuing on his way.

The walk was that of a significant distance still, and where it not for the seemingly endless grooves and bumps purposefully put into the floor to impede vehicle transportation, they may well of already arrived.

That was when Optimus spotted a light in the distance, believing it to be the end of the tunnel, the Prime’s pace was quick to increase.

The light seemed to do the same, quickly coming closer and closer until two wide blue optics could be made out in the dark as well.

It took not a spark beat more to recognise the now sprinting scout, and the worry in his optics as he raced towards them, not a scratch to be seen on his frame.

“Bumblebee!” He heard Ironhide call, quickly followed by a clamour from Jazz and Ratchet as well.

It silenced when the scout practically crashed into Optimus in his haste, having not even tried to slow down his approach as he grabbed for the Prime’s arm and began trying to drag the far larger mech back the way he had just come from, radio clippings firing off and being interrupted each time before sense could be made of what he was saying.

“Yo! Mech, slow down! What’s got your gears runnin’ so high?” Jazz exclaimed, managing to get Bumblebee’s attention enough to slow down in his attempt to drag Optimus. 

‘They went down! Mayday! Mayday! We got a bird down!’ An accented voice shouted over a radio clipping as he continued to pull at the Primes arm. ‘Couldn’t - take it! …’ The scout trailed off, his helm craning back the way he came. ‘They - sent me - to get you.’

Optimus glanced to his CMO, all of his reservations seemingly gone as, after a brief nod that they would in fact continue this discussion later, the medic bolted the way Bumblebee had come, leading the quickly forming charge of Autobots as they pressed on, the sounds of their heavy pede falls ringing within their audios in the giant echo chamber as they kept going, Optimus quickly catching up with Ratchet with his longer strides, Bumblebee racing close behind, with Jazz and Ironhide pulling up the rear.

They barely noticed as the tunnel suddenly opened up into a massive dimly lit hanger, focused solely on the location of where a pained muffled scream suddenly erupted from.

When their optics found the source, all but Ratchet and Bumblebee froze in place, the former quickly rushing over and outright shoving the two smaller… beings, out of the way and dropping to examine the largest as they lay strewn out on the floor, the later likely because the scout had already seen them and wasn’t so shocked by their appearance.

_ ‘They really do have wings for arms’ _ Was the first thing that the Prime thought when the initial shock finally wore off, leaving him to take in the monochrome colour scheme, the wide set helm design, the prong like additions on each side which twitch and flared as the femmes helm arched back and whatever they’d been biting down on to try and muffle their cries snapped.

He heard Ratchet curse when his attempt to grab something now out of the Prime’s view earnt him a brutal kick to the faceplates, sending him stumbling back.

Leaving the mangled limb in clear view.

It was grotesque, there was no other word for it, the limb looked like it had been forced apart from the inside, with noticeable holes through the metal right up to the first joint of their leg.

They had been  _ standing  _ on that for the entire time they had spoken to him.

_ Walked  _ on that wound.

Primus they had used it to take the brunt of force from their landing.

Then Ratchet was blocking his view again, shouting for someone to come help him pin the massive femme down so that he could operate.

Before either him or his mechs could react, the two other neutrals rushed to the medic and their stricken  comrade, the red/orange, white and brown one using the struts of their wings to pin the far larger femme by their wide shoulderplates as best as they could.

Whilst two spindly limbs came out from the sides of their chassis, the claws grasping at the prongs on either side of the femmes helm.

“Shh, shh, shh, easy Wren, easy, we know it hurts… c’mon… shh, shh, easy, he’s here, he’s gonna fix yah… right?” The femmes helm came up, even with the pitch black visor blocking the upper half of their faceplates, the panicked nature of the smallest femme was easily read.

The other was also quick to join, using their own wings to try and pin the undamaged pede to the ground so that it could do no more harm as the largest of their group continued to thrash and out right screech as Ratchet set to work, jabbing a needle directly into the wound in an attempt to numb the pain.

It only took a few more moments after that for the screeches to peter off into laboured venting and groans held back by clenched denta as their helm dropped out of their companions tiny servos and onto the floor with a ‘thump’.

“I. Hate. Today.” Wren hissed out.

“Technically it’s two in the morning.” 

“Ira, at this point, neither of us have the energy to give a shit.”

The one who’d been silent up until then, Kia, looked to Ratchet. “How bad is it?”

The medic responded with a near lethal look. “It’s not life threatening, one of the main struts in her pede has splintered. That is, if my guesswork of how your anatomy works is correct, it looks like… like…”

“Ugh, like we got impaled by a ton of spikes?”

A snort from Jazz got Aria and Wren’s helm snapping round and baring their denta (?) at the Polyhexian. Where denta should be were two smooth plates with hooked centres, there was no illusion within the Primes helm how sharp those were.

“Not those kinda spikes you gutter processor! Ira! Go get the instruments of mutilation then!” They snapped, focusing once again on the one their helm now rested against.

The irritated huff that came from the smallest femme suggested to the Prime that an optic roll of dramatic proportions had just occurred, amplified by the fact that the femme’s sudden upright position left the largests helm to clang against the ground.

Followed swiftly by that same language that sounded a lot like they were more than a little aggravated as she strode over to one of the open hangar doors which lined the walls of the large chamber.

Not a few moments later and the sound of metal clanging together, the smallest was returning with a bundle wrapped in canvas.

Said bundle was then unceremoniously dropped on the floor in front of Ratchet, causing rusted, large jagged lengths of metal to scatter across the ground. The medic was quick to pick up one of them, bringing it under his scrutinous gaze as he took note of the long dried energon still splattered over the primitive mutilation tools.

“Now if yah’ll excuse me, ah got ah nest with mah name written on it an’ ah inten’ tah use it tonigh’!” Ira stated, banging her right wing support against her chassis before turning back around and storming off to one of the other hangar doors which opened at her approach before slamming back shut behind the femmes backstrut and forked tail feathers? 

It took a moment for the Prime to add that little feature to his interpretation of all three femmes, Kia’s being the shortest and seemingly only barely getting past her upper legs before cutting off in a rounded curve, Ira’s dropped to the top of her second leg joints in regards to the tips of the deep wedge cut that left the centre of the feathers half way up the full length of hers, and the twins had, unsurprisingly, the longest of the three, but in their current laying position it was difficult to gauge just how much longer than their partners theirs was as the black and white collection was mostly trapped under the femmes frame.

He was jerked from his musings when Ratchet rose, apparently having finished with his quick repair job. “It’s not perfect, but until I have a better understanding of this abnormal anatomy you have, it’s all I can do.” The medic announced, his servos coming to rest on his hipplates as the large twin femmes tried to push themselves upright.

It was a clearly difficult procedure but one they seemed to manage with surprising ease, but they went no further at the warning scowl they got from the medic.

He’d expected them to shy away or something to that account, all the neutrals he had experienced were, if he was being truthful, quite timid, and uncertain of their new lives away from their home world.

Though that was hardly something he could rely on, to his knowledge, the Decepticons had made it a side mission to wipe out all Neutral groups who’d turned their backs to the war.

What he hadn’t expected, was the almost smug smirk the femmes shot his CMO.

“Naww, what’s the problem Doc? Never patched up someone with honeycomb struts before? Don’t worry, our buddy Winston can give you a crash course on our anatomy in the morning, he took Mikaela up to our apartment just before we got back and went down, he’s probably crashed himself now that I think about it.” Aria spoke, trailing off into her own thoughts by the end before the left shoulder shrugged. 

Kia seemed to nod along to some unspoken notion. “Best to get you two to your own nest and get some rest, I’ll fill these guys in on everything ok amigo?” They asked, already using their own wing supports to hold onto the larger femmes under their own wings, helping to hoist them up onto one pede as they held their mauled right pede off the ground, said action, due to their nature of their struts, seemed in no way to the mechs remotely normal. Then again, this cycle had not been anything close to normal since they arrived on this planet, so that wasn’t the best comparison in the Prime’s optics.

“Merci Kia.” Wren responded, before turning to them. “We’re sorry if this incident forced your servo, it was not our intention to collapse like that… we clearly over did it this time, thank you Ratchet. Kia will give you the location of the Allspark in a moment, but do not just jump and rush off, it would likely be best if we helped you civilly interact with the branch of human Government currently looking after it.” They paused for a moment. “And a certain… someone I do believe you all know very well.”

Ironhide was the one to take the bait after a brief moment of silence as Kia shifted the larger femme into a shoulder carry. “And who, would that be?”

The larger femme let off an airy chuckle, Aria responding. “Why, your old pal Megzy.” 

It took all of three human seconds for the nickname to register with the faceplates of the Decepticon Warlord, but when it did, a sense of dread dropped into their tanks.

“That’s why we need you to really at least let us help you with this part, he’s on Ice, frozen stiffer than a flagpole in Antarctica, but if the humans get the wrong idea about you, and decide to wake their ‘NBE-1’, as they like to call him, well, he’s not even got a hundred metres to cross before he’s got the cube in his servos.” 

There was a long moment of silence as they watched Kia lead the larger twins into another hanger door, the rouge faced femme returning shortly after into view before the door slid shut behind her on its rollers.

“Now then, shall we begin? I guess you deserve to know everything we can offer.”

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**Ouf! Would you believe me if I said that this chapter was initially only half as long? That's what having buffer chapters does to you, you keep having ideas of what to add and what sounds better and it can just get out of hand! Oh well.**

**Sorry about the long hiatus between chapters, I write so much yet it feels like the chapters take so long to be complete!**

**Anyway, hope you all enjoyed!**

**Moon**

 


	8. Chapter 8

**Woo! Been wanting to post this chapter for ages! Finally got around to finishing chapter eleven. Not much to say other than that I hope you all enjoy this latest chapter. Uni's been really busy recently, but I'm managing. So again, hope you all have fun!**

* * *

 

**Chapter 8**

When Kia had announced that they would ‘begin’, Optimus had honestly expected an explanation, his mechs too, what that explanation was, he had no honest comprehension of, still reeling from the fact alone that Megatron himself was dangerously close to achieving his goal of obtaining the Allspark, frozen in Stasis or not.

Let alone everything else which had transpired in not even a full joor.

What they got for their expectations however, was not an explanation, instead, it was the avian femme turning their back strut to them and walking over to yet another hanger like door.

Jazz had been the first to follow, and promptly had the door slam in front of him.

“Urr… am ah missin’ somethin’ abou’ Earth’s Culture or somethin’?” The mech remarked, turning back to face the rest of the Unit and his Prime with servos on his hipplates.

Before any of them could reply, a voice from the raised area clearly designed for the natives of this planet, answered him. “Depends, how much do you know about the Tango?” The accented voice was undeniably that of Kia, their helms and upper chassis all turning sharply to regard the human standing there as they threw their ‘hair’ back and gave a slight shake of their hips, as if to taunt the mechs as they stood there.

“What? You thought I was going to talk down here? Bah! This is where we store our frames! Not live! Now then, I’m going up to our apartment on the top floor, the elevator over here leads directly to it, you all have holoforms in the pack the twins gave you, so you better learn to use them, here, bipedal forms are a no go, we don’t fit simply put, and the employees are skittish enough around us knowing that we’re aliens, having human ‘forms’ helps ease them a bit.” They listed off, gesturing to their form before turning on the heel of their leather sandal covered foot and walking to the aforementioned elevator, the double doors opening wide for the femme before closing behind her, followed by the quiet sound of the elevator heading upwards.

Another silence followed as all attention turned to the Prime.

“Store their frames? Prime these femmes, whatever they are, there is a major malfunction going on in all of them.” Ironhide grumbled, glaring at the door that the holoform had left through.

Before any of them had time to react, the hanger door that Ira had passed through slammed back open as the femme came storming out, a livid twitching snarl etched over what was visible of their pale white faceplates as they stormed right up to the far taller mech, their armour rattling as they came to a stop before the weapons specialist and pulled their left wing back behind them.

In the time it took an optic shutter to close and open again, said wing strut had collided with the Weapons specialists faceplates in an echoing clang, wrenching his helm to the side from the harsh impact that left the side of his faceplates dented in, leaving whatever he’d gone to say to the femme to fall silent before it was ever heard.

Ira was in no way done, taking in one long vent as if to calm herself, then, with one of the spindly arms which was now attached to her chassis, pulled her visor clean off to reveal optics that burned with a rage as potent as the look that Megatron regarded his arch rival with whenever they met upon the battlefield.

That was when her optics actually registered in their processors.

When they realised that it was not their own tiredness getting the better of them when the blue, green, orange and red, actually shifted, warped and twisted behind the glass of the femme's optics like a pool of heated oil.

That was all they had time to take in before said femme decided it was time to explode. 

“MAJOR FUCKIN’ MALFUNCTIONS?! YAH STUPID SON OF AH HALF COOKED COCKEREL! DO YAH HAVE ANY FUCKIN’ IDEA HOW MANY TIMES AH HAD TAH BEND MY ASS OVER BACKWARDS TAH WORK OU’ HOW TAH DESIGN HOLOFORMS FOR YOU THAT WOULD  _ AUTOMATICALLY _ ADJUST TO WHATEVER ALT MODE AND COLOURATION YOU STUPID SONS AH BITCHES TOOK?! YOU GOT ANY FUCKING CLUE IN THA’ MICROSCOPIC GUN FETISHED HELM OF YOURS HOW MUCH WE’VE DONE TO MAKE SURE THA HUMANS DIDN’ FIND OU’ ABOU’ YAH ARRIVAL!? AH HAD TAH FEND OFF OVER  _ FOUR. HUNDRED. _ HUMAN TEAMS AH SCIENTISTS AND ANALYSTS, TRYING TAH GE’ BACK IN CONTROL OF THA RADAR AND TELESCOPES THA’ WOULD AH PICKED YOUR SORRY ASSES UP WITHOU’ MEH DIVERTING EACH AND EVERY ONE AH THEIR FOCUSES UNTIL YAH LANDED?! ALL WITHOU’ THEM FINDING OUT  _ WHO  _ AH WAS?! OOOOOH BUT THAT’S NOT EVEN THE KICKER! BEFORE THAT I HAD TO SPEND THREE SOLID HOURS CLINGING TO THE  _ UNDERSIDE OF AIR FORCE FUCKING ONE  _ AT  _ THIRTY THOUSAND FEET IN THE AIR! THA’S FUCKIN’ FREEZIN’!  _ JUST TO MAKE SURE THA’ THA DECEPTICON FRENZY DIDN’ GE’ AHOLD OF THA ALLSPARKS LOCATION FROM THA POTUS MAINFRAME SO THA’ AH COULD BUY YAH SORRY ASSES THA TIME TAH GE’ HERE AND WORK THIS SHIT OU’ WITHOU’ CAUSING A MASSIVE DISASTER! ‘CAUSE LE’ MEH FUCKIN’ TELL YAH BOLLIXES SOMETHIN’! THA HUMAN RACE AIN’ FUCKIN’ READY FOR YAH AND OUR KIND, YEAH, YOU'RE KIND, AND OUR KIND! WE AIN‘ CYBERTRONIANS YAH TWATS! WE ARE THA UNFORTUNATE VICTIMS OF AH SPACE TIME ANOMALY WHICH TURNED US INTA THESE FREAKS OF FUCKIN’ NATURE THANK YOU VERY MUCH! SO TAKE THA’ ‘MAJOR MALFUNCTION’ LI’L COMMENT AN’ _ SHOVE  _ IT AS FAR UP THA’ ASS AH YOURS UNTIL IT’S FUCKIN’ SPOUTING OU’ OF YAH OPTICS! WE DIDN’ ASK FAH THIS! WE DIDN’ ASK FOR YAH TAH COME SAILING INTA THE WORLD WE’VE MADE OUR SAFE HEAVEN ON! AND BY EVERY DEMON IN HELL WE DIDN’ ASK TAH BE  _ MOCKED _ BEHIN’ OUR BACKS AND REGARDE’ AS NOTHIN’ MORE THAN FREAKS! YOU GOBSHITE!”

With each outraged shout the smallest femme shoved at the mech with surprising force with the final parts of their wing joints, akin to that of a Praying Mantis as she drove home every point.

The final insult however, was accentuated by another hard slap across the faceplates from the other wing and the femme turning on her talons with an Avian screech and stormed off towards a large red button on one of the pillars that held up the high ceiling.

“God fuckin’ damn it ah need tah sink mah beak inta something before ah  _ kill  _ one of yah.” She hissed as she shot a livid glare over her shoulder at them, her optics primarily red with tinges of blue, green and orange trying to flicker across the edges.

The button cracked under the force in which it was hit.

Almost immediately a horn sounded from somewhere above as a door in the ceiling opened up a small way away from the pillar.

Not a moment later, something fell through, hitting a hollow in the concrete floor with a sickening organic thump and a wave of what looked like skinned legs.

Then the femme was transforming, reforming into an avian creature that’s helm reached just above Jazz’s abdominal plating. But those moments of transformation became locked in all their processors, it wasn’t the mechanical, if at times jerky movements of their platings as they transformed, this, what they witness was seamless, flowing like high quality oil, plating and components sliding together and reforming with barely a sound or jerk, if anything, the femme was showing off, their wings flourishing out as hordes of larger feathers appeared from tucked within seemingly their protoform, unfolding out and covering the femmes entire frame instead of what was visible peeking out from under her armour in her bipedal form.

She shot them one last livid look over their feathered covered shoulder plating before walking over to the carcass which had been dropped, beak lunging down and slicing a chunk of flesh and bone clean off the corpse.

All the Autobots could do was watch on in stunned horror as the entire dead, whatever it was, was devoured, bones and hooves included.

When all that was left was a fresh splatter in the blood caked hollow, the femme rose again back into her bipedal form and stormed back to the hanger door they had come from, before closing it this time however, she looked back.

“Ah ever hear you callin’ us malfunctions again, an’ yah gonna wish tha Unmaker himself ate you and yah dead planet whole, yeah, we know abou’ Cybertron, I’ve hacked enough Con cannels tah know what kinda shit you all did tah yah own home, you do tha same here, and we’re gonna have all yah heads.” 

With that, she slammed the hanger door shut.

Ironhide scowled as he rubbed at his dented faceplates. “Small fry has a swing.” He muttered.

Optimus regarded his weapons specialist from behind. “Perhaps you will think twice on insulting our hosts again… though I am curious of what she meant by 'space time anomaly’.” He remarked, turning his gaze to Bumblebee, who responded with just a shrug.

“Hmm. Optimus I believe it would be best if I remain here and see if I can do any more for the damaged ones pede… the sooner we are complete in this exchange I believe the better for both our parties, they are clearly strained by our presence here.” Ratchet announced, regarding the door Kia had lead the twins through. “I also wish to see what I can garner about their ‘condition’.”

Optimus nodded. “Very well Ratchet. Bumblebee, Jazz, Ironhide, vehicle mode. I believe it best if we try not to delay this any more either.” He ordered, shifting down into the Peterbilt he had chosen as his alt mode.

His mechs were quick to follow his lead barring Ratchet who was already making his way towards the door the twins were beyond.

Once the holoform programs had come fully online, they turned their attention on the elevator that Kia had used, the threshold decorated with what looked like silver ivy.

Without another word, they slowly made their way over, far more cautious now of their hosts as they arrived at the elevator and Optimus pressed the button to call the elevator back down.

Almost immediately the doors slid open, revealing a surprisingly large floor space and gilded selection of buttons to press for the individual levels of the building above.

The highest one, labeled simply ‘roost’ was the one he then pressed.

A cheery chime answered the press, and the mechanical box shot upwards.

They didn’t even have to wait more than a few seconds before they reached the top floor and the doors slid open with another cheery chime coming from the speakers hidden somewhere out of sight.

A little bit thrown off balance by the acceleration of the elevator, the four holoforms stepped out into a far smaller, but far more luxurious corridor than the underground chamber they had only just been in.

In the middle of said corridor stood Kia, their expression marred by a raised eyebrow and half pout, arms folded across her chest and hip jutted to the side.

“Wow, you have... no tact, I was gone what? Twenty seconds? And you manage to piss of Ira to the point of a physical confrontation?  Just… wow… The only person who’s been able to do that before was my brother, and he was a fucking Asshole.” She paused then, shooting an exceptionally pointed glare at the weapons specialist before the holoform rolled it’s eyes and gestured for them to follow. “No use crying over spilled blood, now be quiet, Mikaela’s sleeping in the living room.” She announced quietly, turning on the heel of rouge fluffy slippers she was wearing, having apparently changed a part of her attire.

Bumblebee was the first to move, side stepping around the rest of the group and quickly moving to follow on Kia’s heels, blonde and blackette head swaying from side to side to take in the gleaming walls and lush checkered carpet.

Without many options to the contrary, the rest of the mechs holoforms followed soon after, taking in the penthouse themselves.

“Since Arien bought the Hotel, the top three floors have been renovated completely to house our needs, as well as the old underground car park being repurposed into our frame storage. The boardroom is just beyond our rooms and used to be the living room, the current living room was two of the old bedrooms.” Kia announced as she stepped into the wide open plan kitchen, dining area and living room.

The Autobots gave the luxury apartment a cursory and cautious look, Jazz letting off a low whistle at the site of multiple crystal chandeliers hanging from the high ceilings. 

“You femmes certainly know how to live the good life.” He commented.

Kia gave him what could only be called a half smug, half proud look. “Well of course, we accept nothing but the best.” She remarked, but kept on her way.

As they passed the living room area, the mass that was Mikaela’s blanket covered form shifted, her head appearing into view as she rubbed her eyes. “Huh? What’s… what’s goin’ on?” She asked, her eyes blearily trying to focus on the group.

Bumblebee quickly diverted his path, moving to crouch in front of the sofa that held the human, giving her a friendly wave to get her attention.

“Bumblebee? You’re… ok?” The human murmured. 

The holoform nodded his head, before gesturing to her. 

“Oh? Yeah… I just got… really tired… Winston brought me up here… how… what’s been happening… god it’s too late for this…” She grumbled, breaking out into a yawn mid speech.

Kia chuckled as she called out. “It’s two in the morning chica, go back to sleep, you’ll be taken to the airport at eleven to get you safely back to California, unless you want to stay a bit longer?” 

Mikaela snorted. “And miss all the giant robot aliens? No thank you! I’ll just tell my dad I’m staying over, he’ll be cool with it.” She responded, before dropping her head back down to the pillow and almost immediately falling back to sleep.

There was a moment of silence before Kia’s gaze shifted to Bumblebee. “You can stay here and watch over her if you want, you are her guardian if my assumption is correct?” 

Bumblebee’s bright blue eyes widened slightly in surprise before he nodded, shifting out of his crouch and into sitting cross legged with his back resting on the plush leather sofa, his gaze going from the strange femme’s holoform to the bright city below that illuminated the sky with it’s bright neon and flashing lights.

Nodding at the scene before her, Kia turned again and continued to lead the rest of the Autobots to the large wooden double doors at the end of a corridor which bore the doors that seemed to lead to each of the femmes personal rooms.

Kia didn’t even hesitate to push the doors open, revealing a long dark wood table with eight leather padded wooden chairs surrounding, one at each head and six running along the sides.

“Gentlemen, please, take a seat.” Kia called, moving towards the end of the table which was backed by another floor to ceiling window of the Vegas city skyline and night sky above.

With that, she took her seat on the far right of the table, leaving the chair which sat at the head of the table empty.

The three holoforms left, Optimus, Ironhide and Jazz, all moved to take the seats at the closer end of the table, Optimus taking the one at the other head of the table, with Jazz and Ironhide flanking him.

Jazz huffed. “So, which one of you calls the shots if it ain’t you?”

The look that Kia sent him could have melted steel.

“You seem to have made another foolish assumption. Of how we operate, we are not soldiers, Lieutenant, we are Business women, we are equals and we work together in collaboration to squeeze the most profit possible out of our customer bases, not that an alien soldier would understand the fine arts that we must craft every day to maintain our individual empires.” Kia replied, curling the large lock of dark brown silky hair that hung over her left shoulder with her fist.

The bite of her tone quickly had Jazz leaning back into the seat he was in as much as it would give.

Optimus, clearly sensing the building aggression, imitated a human gesture he had noticed on his search of the World Wide Web, and cleared his holoforms throat.

Thankfully it did the trick and immediately drew Kia’s gaze, though it was slightly disturbing with the level of absolute focus those golden hazel eyes bore.

“I would like to apologise for the actions and declarations of my soldiers, we are all currently in quite the unknown situation.”

Kia went to respond but the double doors behind the Prime sliding closed drew her gaze a moment later, along with a small smirk forming on her lips.

Before any of them could so much as enquire as to the sudden change in expression, pale arms had slipped around the Primes shoulders, draping over his chest as a pair of lips pecked him on the cheek, a head of white and grey hair dropping to nuzzle his shoulder.

The holoform froze in place as a low almost purr like sound came from the woman who’d just appeared. 

“Naww~ We forgive you. We know this has been hard~ We’re just worried that you bringing your war here will put us in jeopardy.” Aria’s sing-song voice was the one that answered as she pulled her head away, her right arm lifting up to catch the Prime’s chin with two fingers, raising and tilting his head to the side to lock gazes with the sleepy eyes and pouty lips of the white themed holoform.

The jaw of the Primes holoform would of dropped had it not been for the two fingers holding it in place.

Though that didn’t stop a faint colour change in the holoforms cheeks, leading to the light and airy giggle that left the female holoform as she pulled her fingers away, turning and practically sashaying down to the other end of the table, where she dropped into the chair at the head of the table with a sigh, head coming to rest in her palm which was propped up by her elbow on the arm of the chest, her gaze turned to Kia. “That medic went and woke us up, I didn’t want to deal with him and sis screaming at eachother, so I came here to join you, after I realised that sis wasn’t appreciating my attempts to calm them both down…” She explained before letting off a dramatic yawn and flutter of her eyelashes.

Kia snorted. “You just came up here to flirt, knowing Wren can’t keep you in check.”

Aria pouted. “Aww! Kia! Stop reading me like an open book! That’s Wren’s job!” She whined before turning her gaze back to the Autobots, after flicking Kia’s fringe with the ends of her fingers that is. “Soooooo~ We made any progress yet? Or do I have to jumpstart this  _ morgue  _ of a conversation?” She remarked in a playful tone, her shoulders swaying from side to side akin to a feline about to pounce on some hapless prey.

After a moment, the Prime’s holoform nodded in agreement. “Best not to have any more time wasted.”

The two femme holoforms nodded, as Aria pressed something hidden to them in the divot of the table in front of her seat.

“Alright, over the last few years, we’ve managed tooooooh… acquire, shall we say, the complete layout of the Hoover dam, where the Allspark is being kept.” She announced her tone, mannerisms, practically everything about her shifted, gone was the cheerful flirt that had joined them, replaced by a calculative gaze and strict posture, all as a 3D projection of the massive underground structure appeared over the table between the two groups.

Ironhide raised one of his holoforms eyebrow. “And how, precisely, did you manage that?” He enquired, his voice trying to hide the growl in his tone.

Aria snorted. “That’s, a trade secret, you just need to know that we have these specs and nothing more, you can hardly be successful in our line of work by yammin’ yah gob all the time.” She remarked back, before pressing something else that caused three spots on different parts of the dam to light up, one at the top, one over the reservoir, and one in the hill alongside it. “Alright, there’s three entrances to getting into this place, two of which are heavily guarded, the main entrance that’s big enough for you to get your massive afts through is at the bottom hidden amoung the generators, there’s a human sized opening over the reservoir, which leads to a  lift that goes down through the main tower, and finally, a broken air vent cover in the mountain side, that’s how we got Keeley’s holoform in so that she could get us an internal map, if you really wanted to know.”

“Keeley?” Optimus asked.

“Ira’s Companion minicon.” Kia responded, not taking her gaze off the map.

“Of course it would be that one's pet.” Ironhide grumbled.

“Yah mean one of the psycho things that tried to grab me?” Jazz exclaimed. “They were yours!?”

Aria gave the smallest mechs holoform a curt nod. “Yeah, sorry about that, they can be a bit mischievous, Hera’s mine and Wrens, she’s the biggest, and Kia’s got Nibbler… He’s probably the one that bit you, he has a habit of trying to get anything he sees in his mouth, like Kia’s hand when she’s not being careful!” Aria explained, practically grinning like a cat that killed a canary by the end, giggling to with every word she spoke.

She got a pointed look from her companion for that one.

“Anyway, the point is, there’s only three entrances, two of which are heavily guarded, and the last can fit at most a small dog into.” Arien remarked, before turning her gaze to the three Autobots expectantly. 

Optimus’ holoform leaned forwards to further examine the model. “Then the only way in would be through the lower entrance?”

Aria and Kia nodded, before Aria added. “But your forms are too big for the tunnels between the chambers, unless you’re happy with crawling Prime. Non pas que je dérange la vue.” She remarked, her language suddenly shifting to a completely separate one, earning an amused yet incredulous look from Kia, as the layout shifted to highlight the narrow tunnels in red, revealing the network below the dam.

Optimus’ holoform raised its gaze to send them an enquiring look, but it was Ironhide who spoke. “You’re leading up to something here femme.”

“Of course I am, we have allies willing to help you get access to the Cube. We were just waiting to bring up that little fact.” Aria responded, pressing something else as a cluster of human profiles appeared over the model. 

After a cursory glance over the faces, the three Autobots turned their gazes back to Aria and Kia, Jazz being the one to speak first. “So, if we say yes, those humans are gonna go in through tha elevator?” 

“Theoretically, yes, all of them already have positions working for us, as undercover operatives within Sector Seven, amoung other branches of the Government, but mainly the one holding the Allspark and Primes’ old sparring buddy. Pour l'instant. ” 

Ironhide leant forwards. “You’ve known we were coming for a long time, explain yourselves, or I drop this holoform and use my cannons to talk for me, ‘cause I’ve got a nasty feeling you freaks are nothin’ more than con scum diverting our path just so you cons can get ahold of the cube!”

Another silence fell as Optimus sent his weapons specialist an unimpressed look.

The two femmes holoforms didn’t even bat an eyelash as Aria dropped her chin back into her palm.

“Care to elaborate why you think we work for those threats to our very livelihood?”

Ironhide scowled. “You want to rule this planet.”

The response came only a moment later as Aria let off what could only be called a bark of a laugh, banging her fist thumb down into the table a few times as she shook her head from side to side, Kia too laughed, but it was more of a singular snicker she kept to herself.

“Doesn’t every human worth their salt!? Ha! Besides, we’re more than on our way to that goal even without those barbaric fools!” Aria shot back wide grin not leaving her face as she wafted her hand at them. “Me and Wren have been set for world domination since we were  _ born _ . Same with Kia, and Ira if you stretch it.”

“What?” Was Ironhide’s oh so greatly calculated response.

“Moving on~” Aria shot right back playfully in a song like tone, her name was starting to make more sense, it sounded like a chorus of bells, each word ending with a slight reverberation, waving off the conversation and pulling the Prime back out of his thoughts, Aria turned her attention back to the holographic screen. 

“Our operatives are led by Winston, real nice guy, massive softie, but you didn’t hear that from me. Anyway, he and his team will set up an emergency that calls for the evacuation of the dam, that should give you a big enough window to enter, a dam structural failure if you want me to be precise, the humans will all evacuate upstream, and you’ll be able to slip inside whilst Ira temporarily takes all of the dams non essential systems offline, so security feeds, electrical locks on the doors, that kind of stuff, but old Megzy’s gonna be kept on Ice so if you really wanted to, you could, you know, just cut his head clean off~. Or something along those lines. Would literally remove the head of your whole war issue. Though from what we’ve been able to intercept from  the one called Star...scream? In his radio chatter, he’s more than happy to take over fully with their boss being a no-show.” Aria explained, giving a nonplussed shrug of her shoulders.

Optimus leant forwards, watching the hologram as red, blue and yellow lines all moved through the dam’s layout. “What is the third group? Going through the vent?”

“That’s gonna be Keeley, she’s Ira’s link to the dams system, it’s completely isolated, and Keeley can get in, connect, and Ira can work from here through her, her getting in and connecting to the systems first is key to this being a clean in and out.” Kia responded.

The Prime nodded. “If all goes to plan. I want an explanation from you, a real one. Who are you, what are you, where are you from. How you know the things you know. Am I undertsood?” 

The two exchanged looks, before they nodded, each stepping away from the table and walking up to the Prime, each offering a hand to shake, Aria’s left, Kia’s right.

“You’ll have to make this same deal with Wren and Ira in the morning. Though they will likely be in far less agreeable moods. This is so that we do not say anything they do not want you to know, understood?” Kia responded.

He looked between them, and took each of their hands to shake.

Aria smirked. “We are ladies of our word, with the deal made, we bid you all, a good night, there are rooms for your holoforms if you wish to sleep in luxury as we do. But we understand if you do not wish to take that hospitality, the same to your scout and your medic, the later is likely going to especially need it after dealing with my twin…. This whole time she’s been quite… ratty shall we say?” The smirk shifted to a small smile before they let go a brushed passed, patting Optimus’ holoform on the shoulder before she walked out of the room.

The sound of a door then opening and closing reached them before he could so much as turn to see which door they had left through.

Turning his attention to Kia, who’d pulled her own hand away during his moment of distraction, he found her too already walking out of sight.

Another door opened and closed, and the hologram of the dam shut off.

Taking a moment to let his holoform go through the surprisingly realistic motion of letting out a sigh, he regarded his two mechs.

Ironhide was scowling, Jazz honestly looked more intrigued at the situation than he’d expected.

“Prime, this is a bad idea.” Ironhide growled out.

“Mech, it’s the only one we’ve got. On an normal cycle ah bet they’re all real sweetsparks, we just put them in ah bad position. An’ they promised tah explain when all this scraps blown ova. So relax mah mech.” Was Jazz’s response. “What say you Optimus?” 

The Prime sat there for a good while, resting his jaw in the bridge between thumb and forefinger for a few moments, mulling over everything he now knew, the questions he held that had yet to be answered, the plan, and the strange urge to check upon the injured twin, Aria showed no harm or difficulty with her form, and always lead with her left hand, left foot when she was present in her holoform….

The damage was on the right pede, Wren’s side of their body he had gathered. 

Rising from his seated position he look to his two mechs. “Ironhide, Jazz, we will reconvene the next cycle, per their suggestion, you may retire if you wish, I intend to check on Ratchet and his patient.” 

Neither of his mechs tried to stop him when he left the room upon his decision.

Though he did pause at the sight of his scout sleeping on the other sofa that lay opposite to the one his charge slept on in the unlit living room, a large blanket covering the majority of the young scout, the human female being equally covered.

It would seem his scout still needed some rest.

Turning his attention back to the elevator at the far end of the corridor, he made his way there, the doors sliding open in front of him before he even pressed the call button.

The doors closed the moment he had gotten out of their way, the elevator already dropping downwards before he could turn.

Pre-programmed he predicted.

He could just turn off the holoform, the thought only then occurring to him.

He decided to go against it, he was already almost there.

The elevator pinged it’s destination not a few moments later, the doors sliding open to reveal the large hangar beyond.

As he disabled his holoform and began the transformation process out of his vehicle mode, Optimus regarded his medic, who was seemingly having just finished his check up. “How is Wren old friend?”

Ratchet, to his credit, only sent the Prime a half murderous look. “She is stable, I did what I could to repair their pede with the tools and materials I had and they could provide, it’s braced so they’re walking should be greatly improved, but that brace will have to remain there for some time to come until the internal systems seal the strut back together, and I’ve forbidden them from any strenuous activity, if they fly they must land with their left pede first, to take pressure off their right, which seems to be their leading one, hence the continued strain. At present, they are recharging. How went the meeting?” The medic then enquired after his explanation.

Optimus paused for a moment. “It was certainly interesting, and it would seem that we have a plan to execute in the coming cycles to obtain the Allspark with hopefully as few casualties as possible.” He remarked. “I merely wished to check on Wren before I recharged.” He explained.

Ratchet nodded. “Very well, recharge well Optimus… is there a reason the others have not returned?” Then added, taking note of the fact that Bumblebee, Jazz and Ironhide had not returned with their Prime.

Optimus glanced to the elevator himself. “It would seem they decided to take up the offer of our hosts hospitality, though Ironhide may try to deny it.” He answered, glancing at the CMO he decided to elaborate. “They offered us human rooms for our holoforms.”

Ratchet’s response was to give his Prime a look of absolute disbelief. “After the mess that occurred down here?” He enquired, giving a wide gesture with his servo towards the door that Ira had disappeared behind.

Optimus merely shook his helm.

“It would seem, old friend, they are quite forgiving of Ironhide’s transgression for the most part.”

* * *

**Oh Prime doesn't even know the half of it.**

**Welp, that's all from me, thanks for reading!**

**Moon**


	9. Chapter 9

****Alright! new chapter up and ready to go! Not going to say much, other than that I hope you all enjoy this chapter!** **

* * *

**Chapter 9**

There were three things that woke Mikaela up the next morning.

One was the smell of sizzling eggs and bacon.

The second was the quiet smooth jazz coming from somewhere in the room, accompanied by soft humming.

The other was the heavy warm weight covering her that seemed to keep trying to nuzzle closer.

It was only when she felt something sharp nestle against her skull through her hair that she decided that enough was enough and opened her eyes.

Only to find the mass to be a large, small horse sized mechanical bird, black white and grey in colouration, hogging the majority of the sofa with one wing seemingly wrapping around her to hold her close to the surprisingly warm metal feathers as what she guessed was it’s head rested on hers, whilst the other wing was tucked to their side.

Deciding against moving, lest she startled the thing covering her. She peered out towards the other sofa after spotting a yellow and black form there.

Sure enough, there was Bumblebee’s human form, one arm thrown over the armrest, one leg on the floor, and mouth wide open in silent snores.

Then she realised he too had a companion.

A slightly smaller, black, brown, cream and red faced metal bird who was just curled up on his chest and staring out the floor to ceiling panoramic windows, clearly awake.

And with a turn of his head, his large gold eyes locking on her, acknowledged her wakefulness with a squawk over his shoulder.

Not a moment later a whispered voice hissed back, replacing the soft humming. “Shush Nibbler! Don’t wake our guests!”

Apparently though, the squark had brought her own companion to alertness, as the sharp thing she assumed was its beak lifted from her head and a set of bright sea green glass eyes appeared in front of her almost immediately after.

Then it turned towards the hissed voice, stretching it’s neck a good way, revealing the cabling hidden under the mass of feathers, it too squawked, this one sounding more insistent.

More… happy?

“Hera! Shhhhhhh! Let them sleep!” The voice hissed again in a whisper that sounded slightly strained.

The creature dubbed Hera just squawked again and bounced its head up and down, seeming to get more excited as it moved to stand around her.

Not a moment later she caught sight of the talons clutching the sofa not an inch away from her arm.

They looked like meat hooks.

Really big, serrated meat hooks.

“Hera! Really! You’ll wake them!”

“Um… I’m already awake.” She mumbled, deciding to finally bring attention to herself.

There was a moment of silence as what sounded like the gas of one of the cookers being turned off before the voice materialised as a form of a grey and white unkempt haired woman peering over at her from the other end of the couch, and oddly enough they were wearing sunglasses, really dark sunglasses, where they hung over or something? Could they be hungover? It was way too early to be questioning her hosts fashion sense...

“Oh… so you are… okay… hungry?” 

“Urr yeah? Um… Aria? This is the Aria half right?” Mikaela responded back, but struggled to move anywhere with Hera on top of her. “Can… can you tell her to get off?” 

Aria blinked at her after giving a quick nod to confirm that she was right about guessing which half of the set she was. “Mmmm, Hera, off.” 

The response was for the metallic bird of prey to give the white and grey haired woman a full blown incredulous look.

For a moment she was left wondering  _ how _ such a feat occurred.

Then she remember the human form of a giant alien robot was still out cold on the other sofa and decided heightened facial expressions were now snugly within the norm of crazy shit she’d seen within the last twenty four hours.

“Don’t give me that look young lady, she’s up now so get off.” Aria responded to Hera’s look.

Apparently she was familiar enough with the bird to reach out and outright yank some of the poor creature's tail feathers so as to make her stance clear.

Turns out that was all that was needed to convince Hera to spread her large, ridiculously large wings out and with a few quick beats that threatened to knock away literally everything in the room, relocated herself to the floor between the sofas where she puffed up in indignation.

“Oh hush you, you've slept enough you lazy thing.” Was Aria’s response before beckoning Mikaela to follow her into the kitchen, Hera already tailing after the older woman, her grievance apparently already forgotten. 

Knowing there was to be no bartering a few minutes more sleep given how awake she already felt, Mikaela managed to get herself upright, groaning under her breath at how stiff she felt from sleeping as awkwardly as she had on the admittedly really comfy couch.

After a few quick stretches to try and loosen some of the tension out of her body, she turned to walk into the kitchen away from the waking city below.

Aria was already back at one of the stoves, the fire already going again under the pan as the bacon sizzled and eggs spat as they were thoroughly scrambled.

Coming up to stand next to the woman she peered over her shoulder, already feeling her stomach begin to growl.

Just to the side she spotted a plate of bread next to the six slot toaster which sat against the wall in all its chrome black glory. 

This was just making her even more hungry.

That’s when she noticed the enquiring look Aria was sending her out of the corner of her eye. 

“So…” She began, but fell short of thinking of something to say.

“Hmm?” 

“Um… where’s your sister?” 

“Oh Wren? Still sleeping, Ratchet’s brace kept her up for a good while so I’m letting her sleep in.”

“How… how do you do that? You’re one brain right?”

The first answer she got was a chuckle. “No, no, we’re not, and yet, we are at the same time, we may share a body, but we are fully capable of functioning on our own… back before we got these projections and were, you know, fully human, that meant we moved half of our body each, me controlling the left, Wren controlling the right, simple as. But that meant that ‘functioning’ with only one of us awake doesn’t really work, given we need the other to be awake too to do things like walk and such without dragging an unresponsive other half along the floor by one arm and a leg. That make sense?” There was an almost strained chuckle at the end of that admittance, she barely caught it as Aria tossed the pan slightly, throwing up the eggs and bacon for a moment to help move them around as her other hand worked to add a dash of salt and pepper to the pan.

She responded with an honest shrug.

“Hmm, most people don’t get it right off the bat, but I’ll put it this way, with these projections, or holoforms, as they’re called, we can operate separately if one of us is still asleep. It wasn’t easy getting used to, having to learn how to control the other side of our bodies our sibling would normally control, but we manage in the name of us being able to multitask and pull off fun little tricks like that one last night… oh! I forgot to ask! Did you enjoy the show? Well, what small chunk of it you saw because of Ira’s interruption but, did you like what you did get to see?” She outright giggled then, like a little girl who’d just spoken some dirty little secret she wasn’t supposed t. There even seemed to be a sparkle within those sea green eyes of hers as she glanced over her shoulder at the teen, sunglasses pushed up to her forehead, but under that, she could've sworn she saw hesitation, veiled behind the bright eyes that were looking directly at her.

Mikaela worried her bottom lip as she tentatively leant against the marble topped island that sat in the middle of the kitchen area. “It was… pretty cool. Bumblebee was trying to ask me questions through the start of it though.” She admitted, shrugging. “Honestly I’m not sure… it was kinda surreal. Everything is I guess… I mean, I met you like, the day before yesterday and now I’m trying to process alien robots, giant bird robots that used to be humans from another reality where I’m nothing but a… fictional character… oh god… that just hit me...” She muttered, her head dropping to stare at the floor below her as it all began to really sink in.

She… she was fictional… did that mean the only people in this universe that were actually real were these people? The twins and their two friends and what she guessed where they’re pets?

Was this what it felt like to have an mid life crisis? 

A plate of steaming hot bacon and scrambled eggs appearing not five inches from her face knocked her out of that spiral and her head snapped back up to stare at the strange woman holding the plate out to her.

“Try not to dwell on it too much with an empty stomach.” Was Aria’s response as Mikaela numbly took the plate and shuffled her ass back so that she could, after a bit of co-ordination, climb onto one of the padded raised seats and place her plate down.

All the while Aria was rummaging around in what looked like the cutlery draw before pulling out a knife and fork, quickly bumping the draw closed again with her hip before Mikaela could look inside.

“Here, enjoy… hopefully it tastes good… me and Wren may cook a lot… but, eggs and bacon was kind of an, on the fly thing, I just wanted you to have something to eat at least.”

Mikaela looked at her, watching as Aria rubbed the back of her neck with her left hand. “Thank you. For the food, everything else I have no idea what to think of yet, so, thanks for now I guess?” 

Aria stared at her with a completely blank face for all of a second before the strangest noise left her closed lips and suddenly very puffed up cheeks.

Then she exploded into a fit of giggles as she doubled over herself.

Suddenly finding herself overcome by the infectious giggles, she was quick to follow.

Soon enough the two were in absolute hysterics for seemingly no reason whatsoever.

Still busting whatever kind of gut her projection had, Aria braced herself on the table and gestured to her with the hand she wasn’t currently using to prevent her from meeting the floor. “We’ve introduced you to giant alien robots, time travel and multiple dimensions in which one of said dimensions you’re a fictional character! And that’s your reaction!? Thanks!? I thought you’d start screaming at me and demanding answers now you weren’t so tired!” She exclaimed, gesturing with her free arm now in a wide semi circle at the world at large around them both.

Mikaela, still trying to contain her own spontaneous fit of giggles tried to shrug her shoulders, but it ended up with her nearly falling off the high chair due to over compensating. “Give me a bit and I might just start!” 

When a response didn’t come, she managed to calm her own giggles and unscrew her tightly shut eyes, surprised to find the woman's forehead being cradled in her hands with her elbows braced on the table. “A-aria?” 

“It… it just hit me… everything… oh ancestors… oh fuck, oh fuck… we’re fucked… what have we done?! Oh Primus… oh good somehow non-fictional god of an alien race of giant robotic organisms… I LEFT THE STOVE ON! I LEFT THE STOVE ON FOR TWO YEARS! THE GAS BILLS GONNA BE MURDER!” 

And then she was gone from the kitchen area, making a beeline for what Mikaela could only guess was her room, the door of said room being slammed open with such force and ferocity that the bang actually seemed to finally wake Bumblebee’s sleeping holoform, who, with his sofa companion, both crashed to the carpet between the sofas with a noticeable ‘thud’. 

Which was quickly replaced by Aria shouting into the room. “WREN! WE LEFT THE STOVE ON IN LONDON!”

“WHAT?! Aria! What the fuck are you gripping about!” Came the voice of someone who’d clearly been equally rudely awakened like Bumblebee, who was currently trying to not panic with all the shouting going on and trying not to freak out about the giant feathered creature now in his lap and trying to eat his holoforms hand as he tried to use the same hand to push the thing off.

“THE STOVE! THERE’S BEEN A TURKEY SLOW ROASTING FOR TWO YEARS IN THE OVEN! OH PRIMUS IT’S A CULINARY DISASTER!” 

“.........It is too early for this.” Was the resigned response, the tone easily distinguished as one belonging to someone tired of the Universes shit.

Clearly the Universe wasn’t finished as a second door slammed open and storming out of said room in nothing but a hastily wrapped towel for modesty, was Kia. 

“¡¿Qué diablos está pasando?!”

“J'ai laissé le poêle sur!”

“¡Entonces apágalo!”

“Le poêle à Mayfair!”

“¡Tienes diez años para volver y arreglarlo! Deja de enloquecer!”

“Non! Que la Turquie est ruinée!”

She was completely lost, and a pleading look from Bumblebee proved they were just as lost as the other.

Hera and Nibbler didn’t seem fussed at all about the current situation, how she knew that even she couldn’t fathom, they just looked, wholly passed this whole thing happening.

This would've continued had the last door suddenly not slammed open and what she could only call a being of pure rage and lividity stormed out holding a tankard which quickly had the contents inside chucked at the other two in the room by the head of seemingly matted short red head.

The startled shouts from said two receivers of the cold tankard of water seemed to put an end to the whole situation as it covered them and the tiled floor around them.

“Tá déileáil le géarchéim existential Aria ann. Anois stoptar gach duine suas! Tá sé ró-luath don chineál seo cac a tharraingt!”

With that declaration that she had no hope in hell of understanding, Ira stormed right back into her room, the door slamming behind her.

Feeling a tap on her shoulder, she turns her head to find Bumblebee standing a bit behind her, hand still partially out, but his gaze flicking between her and the corridor with an imploring look, apparently begging for an explanation.

All she could do really was respond with a shrug. 

* * *

Tranquillity Nevada

The underpass that Frenzy found himself tied to by his pede was an abandoned mess, but compared to the conditions he’d had to deal with not a joor before, it was a significant improvement.

Specifically because he was actually on solid ground and not dangling from that flying mechs talons by his  _ helm _ .

A bit of poking around had revealed that the fragging mechs talons had actually pierced some minor energon lines, causing his helm to give off a dull throbbing.

When they’d come into land the mech hadn’t even bothered to try and hide himself from the admittedly sparse human life in this area.

Clearly the mech had no care for if humanity discovered him or not because he was just fragging  _ standing there  _ the second joints of his massive wings resting against his hipplates and the majority of the feathers curled in behind him, as if he was trying to close them like he would a servo.

His minicon had been sent off somewhere to ‘catch’ him something.

Whatever that was, Frenzy could care less for.

He’d already messaged Barricade his location, given this mech had somehow known the general location that his temporary partner was in, he just hoped that the former Enforcer would show up soon.

If this mech started ranting and raving again about how ‘filthy’ his already pristine metal feathers looked, he was going to put himself out of his misery.

On top of all that, his servo, the one that this mech seemed to have a great vendetta towards, had stabbed, was really starting to fragging itch, apparently there was a secondary part of that damn virus that was there to make sure he couldn’t damn well forget it.

Why the frag did he agree to go on this mission to Earth? He and his siblings had already been separated from Soundwave, then he had to stupidly abandon them thinking he’d be able to make it on his own.

Now look where that had gotten him… tied to the support structure of an underpass by his pede and a freak of a mech holding him captive until his temporary partner showed up and, maybe bartered well enough to get him free, all after getting literally sucked out of a plane and into the open air only to be caught by another of these freaks who seemed to be appearing from every damn fragging shadow!

That was when he heard the sound of Police Sirens in the distance, and quickly growing louder with their approach.

Turning his helm up he went to give the mech a smug look, Barricade was not going to put up with this mechs scrap, and would hopefully pummel the freak into the ground.

Oh now wasn’t that a thought?

That attempt at a smug smirk faltered however at the practically psychotic look upon his captors features.

He honestly hadn’t thought his spark could sink lower.

This mech had an ace in the hole, and he knew it.

This was not good.

“Ah, like a loyal dog, they return to collect their favourite toy.”  The mech mumbled his voice suddenly pitching sideways into a gleeful sounding noise not out of place coming from Laserbeak or Buzzsaw.

He watched with what was probably an unhealthy level of concern as Barricade skidded into view, transforming almost immediately and drawing his weapon to brandish at the freak.

Barricade growled. “You’re a scrapped mech.” He spat, allowing his weapon to spin up to its full speed.

The mech was unperturbed. “Oh please, that little trinket is supposed to scare me?” 

Then something happened that Frenzy honestly didn’t think possible.

With dual sharp motions of his wings, large, scythe like blades shot out from the underside of the feathers, shedding a few in the process with how suddenly the gleaning, crimson tinted blades shot out.

Then the mech was hunching himself, wings flared out to bare the paler brown undersides fully and the blades which hung from the undersides.

One of the mechs pedes scrapped against the ground, the three frontal talons screeching and sparking against the concrete, the back raised off the ground.

Barricade scowled, red optics narrowing as he moved into a battle ready stance.

Then, they were charging.

The avian mechs massive strides ate up the distance far faster than Barricade’s own pedes could, and Frenzy watched, unable to look away from what was to quickly become a bloodshed.

Only, it didn’t.

For at the last moment, almost too quick to catch even with their optics, the avian mech flipped himself forwards onto the platted struts that held up the wings and used those to  _ vault  _ over Barricade, leaving the mech to stumble as his attempted swipe met thin air and the mechs talons landed dual blows against his back strut, very nearly knocking him off his pedes as they hooked and tore a chunk of metal armour from the former enforcers back plates.

In the time it took for Barricade to turn around, the mech was already leaning against one of the underpasses struts, regarding the former enforcer with a look that couldn’t be discerned due to the how pitch black the mechs visor was.

“Hmmm, a little too brash with those attacks, you’ll never stand a chance against Ira with that form, let alone my sister or the twin freaks.” The mech remarked. “Which is significant given they’re your real enemy.” The remark ended with a knowing cackle as he held one wing up to hide his lower faceplates from view, as if that would mask the sound of his amusement at Barricade’s inability to land a hit.

Barricade growled under his vents, fists clenching, clearly thinking along the same lines as Frenzy. 

“You have a lot of gaul freak.” Barricade hissed, practically spitting each word with his ire.

The avian mechs response was actually quite the sight, the elongated protrusions that lay along the sides of his helm flared up, as did his armour, it was a strange sight, one Frenzy assumed was supposed to display aggravation.

But then, it all settled back down with a taunting swagger of the avian mechs wide shoulder platting. “Oh really? Name calling your best shot at winning this war?” They remarked. “Bad move.” The smirk was telling of the mechs amusement.

Barricade didn’t fall for the goad this time though.

“Oh really? Prove it then.” 

Their gazes seemed to lock for a moment, before the avian mech shrugged. “I know where your precious cube is.” 

Okay, so that may of really peaked his interest.

This mech knew where the Allspark was?

Barricade seemed to be equally surprised by this statement, but he remained sceptical.

“Prove it.” 

The avian mech snorted. “My aren’t you a parrot. Such valuable information, I’m only willing to trade for. What are you going to offer me? And it has to be worth my while of course.” He responded, smirk remaining in place, as he reared up now, towering over them both.

Oh so that’s how it’s gonna be? This fragging mech wanted to make a trade for the Allspark’s location, really should of seen that coming, he hardly acted like the charitable type after all.

“What do you wish to trade then?” Barricade spat out, getting impatient.

“Two things, one, I join your ranks. Living like this, solo that is, isn’t fun, two, I get to skin my sister alive… or whatever you aliens have that describes the mutilation of the outer layer of a person that results in their demise from pure agony~. Because I would love to turn that perra into some lovely book covers to read at my leisure before tossing upon a roaring fire.”  

Frenzy actually felt a chill go down his strut at his words, how he seemed to relish in the motion of murdering his own sister.

This mech wasn’t fooling around.

Then again there was also a high chance this mech was completely out of his processor, he didn’t even know what protoform flaying was? That was a go-to decepticon torture method… not that this mech was a decepticon.

Barricade seemed to think on it for a moment, before he nodded. “I’ll need to… run this through Starscream.” 

The mech snorted, pushing off the pillar and stretching his right wing out, the main strut almost reaching Barricade even from the distance they stood apart, a testament to the mechs wingspan.

“Fernando De La Estrada. A pleasure comrade.” 

Barricade paused, regarding the limb.

“Oh come now, you know I have no hand to give you to shake, my wing will have to do.” 

Barricade snarled under his vents, but relented and grasped the bowed limb with his own servo, giving one quick shake before having to jump back, the blade nestled away which seemed attached to the main strut having suddenly sprang back out, nearly slicing the mechs digits clean off like the metal feathers now decorating the ground.

Fernando chuckled at his own stunt, the smirk growing ever larger. “I’m going to enjoy this.~”

A now familiar cry from above drew Frenzy and Barricade’s attention up.

Frenzy recognised the strange miniature version of its master almost immediately, though it took a moment for him to realise what the bloody mass it was carrying was.

A sheep, an organic domesticated species of this world with one of its legs missing and leaving only a bloody stump.

“Ah, it would seem I’m having Lamb for Lunch. Care to join me mechs? I can toss you each a bone once I’m done.” 

* * *

Pentagon General Grant’s private office

Jamerson gulped as he stood before his father, whose face was nothing but an impassable stone wall.

At his left stood Flint, his right, Maggie.

Next to his father, an Agent by the name of Banacheck.

“Sir…” Flint tried to speak up, to break the tense silence.

“Silence Agent.” His father shot Flint down without even breaking eye contact with him, his time worn eyes unflinching.

Flint promptly shut up.

“Grant.” Jamerson tried not to flinch, last name basis, great, he was in deep shit.

“This is a serious situation we have here, potentially caused by the fact you seemed to decide that it was not in the best interests of the USA to keep full track on a group you seem to be claiming, to be highly advanced mechanical beings capable of flight that have been residing on this planet without our knowledge for a number of years. Enabling them to learn our ways, our technology, everything, by foolishly using a device they gave you. You had better have a perfect god damn excuse for this lest I be forced to have you fired this moment.”

He knew that was coming.

But he knows his father very well, he isn’t finished.

“However, due to your… experience, and what you have told us, I must admit I doubt any of us would've actually believed you were it not for Mr Banachek’s evidence here, and what has happened only earlier this night. So instead of firing you, you and Mrs Madsen and her… ‘advisor’ will be relocated to S7’s base of operation. There’s a plane waiting for you, hopefully you’ll be able to do more for them.” His father continued, as he’d expected.

What he hadn’t expected, was the relocation.

Then it dawned on him, his father was finally putting him back out in the field.

He would have hugged them man if he wasn’t afraid of pushing it.

“Thank you sir, I won’t let you down.” 

Flint then piped up again. “Er, sir? What role do I play in all of this?” 

“You’ll be going with them, this is very sensitive information we can’t risk you being picked off on a normal mission and have information like this pulled from you. You’ll be safer with S7.” Was his father’s response.

That was understandable reasoning when he thought about it, wouldn’t want the Russians finding out about the fact the hacker apparently just a big a thorn in their side was actually a giant metal bird who could crush heads with a toe clench. And she was the smallest of the three.

Maggie spoke up then. “Then me and Glen are going too?” 

His father nodded. “Yes, given you’re now the SecDef’s advisor, and he’s… your advisor, you’ll both be going with Jamerson and Flint here to advise Mr Keller during his time there… Your flight leaves in six hours, you will be escorted to your homes so that you can prepare for the journey, dismissed.” 

“Wait, one more thing.” Jamerson finally spoke up. “What did you mean, by earlier this night?” 

His father's gaze met his again before his father turned to the silent agent, who just gave a nod. “Son… ten hours ago, Airforce One was attacked. At least ten good men are dead and there is irreparable damage to the fuselage.” He admitted, opening a folder on his desk to reveal a collection of pictures.

The first was of the underside of the massive jet, six massive gashes running vertically down the hull like someone had released Wolverine upon it, revealing the severed inner workings beyond.

He heard Maggie gasp and Flint mutter a curse under his breath that got him a foul look from his father. “It’s a miracle she landed with the damage done, there is also the fact that… the rear cargo door was hacked… as quickly as the second hack in Qatar… there were men in the hold… they were the ten whose bodies have yet to be recovered, they were at thirty thousand feet, survival has been listed as impossible.” The solemn tone he used was haunting, one the man reserved for his fallen brethren.

Then his features hardened and he pulled one picture in particular and held it out for them to see, it was over exposed by a bright flash, used to get a better view of the gashes.

Jamerson felt his stomach drop at the all too familiar reddish orange paint and the small metal feathers caught in the jagged metal surrounding.

“Ira… that’s her colour… there’s no doubt in my mind sir… she’s the one who’s been doing this… and that means, by my guess, Kia and the Twins are still on planet… I’m sorry… if I’d known even an inkling more of their intentions I would not of remained silent…”

“I know son, but that time for regret is passed, now, we must do all we can to locate these things, and make sure they cannot do us any more harm… Dismissed.”

The three stepped back out, and seemed to in tandem let of a joint sigh of relief.

“Holy shit, this is not what I signed up for.” Flint muttered. “Dude your dad is scary.” He remarked.

“Wait, that was your father? Oh god now I’m seeing the resemblance.” Maggie spoke, looking Jamerson up and down quickly. Apparently she hadn’t put that together after the multiple times his father called him ‘son’. 

“It doesn’t matter… what does is the fact I’m partially responsible for the deaths of ten men.” He responded, already feeling somehow even worse at the new revelation, honestly could this get any worse?

Oh, right, secret branch of the military… those are never the good guys in movies… and he had the fun of going to work with them… joy.

* * *

**And there we go! Things are starting to ramp up! Fernando is with the cons, not a fun day for anyone, and Aria remembered she'd left the stove on back in London.**

**Hope you all enjoyed this most recent chapter! Until next time!**

**Moon**


	10. Chapter 10

**Alright! Off on holiday for a week so I really can't stall on posting this any longer. Hope you all enjoy this most recent chapter! And have a good day okay?**

* * *

**** Cosmopolitan top floor

_ “Mikaela where are you.”  _

The moment she’d picked up her mobile she knew she’d be in for it from her dad, his worried voice only proved it.

“Over at a friends house. Like I told you.”

_ “Yeah well I called all your friends and none of them said you were there.” _

It took her a moment to realise where he must've gotten those numbers from. “You used my old address book?”

_ “Well what else could I have used? It’s ten,  you said you’d be back by nine.” _

Right, she had said that, hadn’t she? Well she wasn’t exactly expecting to collapse, wake up then promptly be moved to one of the comfiest sofas she’s ever slept on, which was saying something unfortunately. 

“I know daddy, but I ended up not feeling good last night and I ended up sleeping in to recover, my friends are insisting I stay cause they live way closer to the nearest doctor than we do.” 

Immediately her fathers worry shifted gear.  _ “You’re sick? Honey you should of called! I would of come pick you up right away!”  _

“No it’s fine daddy, Wren and Aria are gonna fly be back in a few hours.” 

She heard someone freeze halfway through saying something behind her, looking back to the rest of the room she spotted Aria gritting her teeth in a wince, the human projections of the other aliens looking between the two of them with perplexed expressions.

_ “Fly you back?! Mikaela where the hell are you?!”  _

Oh, shit.

“Err… Vegas…” 

_ “VEGAS?! I swear young lady if I find out you were gambling I’ll…”  _

Before she could hear the rest the phone was snatched away by a frowning Wren.

“Sir, Mikaela didn’t do anything illegal, we invited her to watch a show with us at the Cosmopolitan, she ended up having a nasty reaction so some lobster so we insisted she stay here and recover longer than her predetermined stay. Do not fret, the chef responsible has been suitably warned after the mistake and she has been compensated.” At that Wren pulled a literal wad of money out from  _ somewhere _ on her body and put it in place of where Mikaela’s phone had been not moments prior.

She heard her dad reply but didn’t hear what he was saying, looking back towards the others she saw Bumblebee and Jazz exchange an odd look, but the other three were back to being too busy discussing something with Aria and Kia to pay them any mind.

Where had Wren come from anyway? Last she knew the woman had been trying to get some extra sleep in. And why was she really giving her all of this money? Pulling the wad down she had the startling realisation that they weren’t merely tens, but hundreds, and far more than she honestly thought she’d ever see in her life.

“I am Wren Orichiono, we befriended Mikaela when we were on  a business trip in Tranquility. Yes we, I have a sister, Aria. Yes we invited her to the cosmopolitan, because we own it. Understand sir that Mikaela is in the safest of hands possible here, she will be home within the next three hours, if that is what she wants, we have a helicopter ready to go on the roof. Yes we’ll give a more complete explanation of how your daughter managed to befriend us and why we decided to invite her over at a later day. Oh, and your welcome for the bail.” 

Wait… what?! 

Mikaela felt her jaw drop as Wren glanced at her with a raised eyebrow and smirk as if to say ‘what? You didn’t put two and two together?’ Before the woman promptly hung up and handed the cellular device back.

Wren seemed to pause then, thinking of something as she regarded Mikaela. “A word of advice, invest in Touch screens, they’re far superior to flip phones, and if you invest enough, in a few short years, you’ll be living larger than you ever thought possible. Apple and Samsung will be the biggest profit draws, but watch out for when the Samsung phones start smoking, sell all your shares there before the value drops” 

She went to sit down on the sofa Bumblebee had slept on the night before, not really sure what to say back to the black themed woman who made her own way over to the kitchen, peering into one of the fridges and pulling out what looked like a premade fruit salad with whipped cream on top.

Looking back down at the wad of cash in her hand she gulped, was this the ‘compensation’? An added touch to make sure the white lies were believed?

Had they really been the ones to bail her dad?

It made sense, if she hadn’t agreed off the bat to get the glasses, they could of dangled that over her head.

Would they of done that though?

A tap on her shoulder jolted her from those thoughts and caused her gaze to shift from the wad of cash and up to the one in front of her.

Bumblebee, her ‘guardian’ as she had overheard earlier, was in a half kneel, warm smile mixed with a look of concern on his features.

Pulling out the very same notepad she’d given him they night before, he scribbled out something on a page with a pen he pulled from the same pocket the notepad came from.

‘You ok?’

She nodded. “Yeah… just…” She looked at the wad of cash again. “So much has happened so quickly.” 

He scribbled something else down.

‘You wanna talk about it? Aria said there’s a balcony on the floor below with a really good view.’

The idea of getting some fresh air certainly sounded, or really looked like a good idea.

After a moment of contemplation and a glance at all the ‘adults’ talking, she decided there was nothing to lose.

Also it was starting to get really weird being surrounded by people who looked human, but that she knew for certain were all aliens. Or trans-dimensional beings, but that was a whole thing in and of its own.

“Yeah… that sounds like a good idea.”

He responded with a smile and an offering off his hand.

Being courteous she decided to take it and let him help her up.

They had to walk passed Wren to get to the elevator, the woman having m0ved to lean against one of the corridor walls, seemingly chewing the spoon in her mouth as she regarded something on a device she’d pulled out of her pocket with the hand not currently holding the already half eaten bowl of fruit and cream.

Was that a touch screen? She’d ask later if she could.

After a brief glance at them from behind their heavily tinted sunglasses, Wren went back to reading whatever she had been looking at, as if giving them permission to go.

Needing no other encouragement they entered the lift and Bumblebee pressed the button for the floor below.

Stepping out they found themselves in a corridor, but unlike the floor above, the corridor seemed to span the entire length of the floor, with doors lining each side, reminding Mikaela of the fact they were in fact, still in one of the most luxurious hotels in the US.

At the end of the corridor though, was a set of double doors leading out to the apparent balcony.

A tug on her hand drew her gaze to Bumblebee, leading her to realise she’d never actually let go of the hand he’d offered.

Apparently he didn’t mind, more focused on gesturing with his head to the glass double doors as if to say ‘We going?’.

Maybe holding hands wasn’t a couple dominated gesture of his species.

They were aliens, she had to remind herself, no matter how realistic these projections looked and felt.

She nodded despite her internal musings. “Yeah, sure, let’s go.”

The corridor wasn’t really long, and it branched off a few times leading to more door filled corridors, but they kept going straight, quickly passing through the glass doors and out onto the fenced balcony and into the warm breeze that lingered high above the ground.

Finally pulling her hand out of his, she walked ahead as he focused on the surrounding view.

After just a peek at the ground she pulled her gaze back up, focusing on the horizon and not the ridiculously far drop she should of expected had she ever really been a building over four stories tall before.

Letting off a sigh she pushed herself back on her arms so that she could rest her forehead on the metal railing, already it was getting warmed by the sun, but that’s just what happens this time of year.

She felt him tap her shoulder again, and she lifted her gaze to regard him, finding he’d already scribbled something else down the edges of the pages ruffling in the wind.

‘It’s a lot, isn’t it? Us being aliens?’

She laughed under her breath at that.

“Oh yeah… not three days ago I was watching Alien again with dad… and we joked about how terrifying it would be to meet an alien. Though to be honest, the aliens in that film were a hella lot more scary looking.”

He nodded at that, writing again on the notepad after flipping to a new page. 

‘Good to know. What about me?’

“You? Well…” What should she say? The only time she’s seen what he really looks like, it was for at most a few seconds on that video the twins sent her, and given how shaky the image had been, she’d not gotten much… could she even tell them what the twins had told her? What Kia had told her? That they were all fictional characters as far as these strange women were concerned? No… no they already had enough to deal with, existential crisis wasn’t something she wanted to add to anyone’s plate, no matter how recently they met. So, to answer him, she just said the first thing that came to mind. “You’re cute.” 

Probably not the best thing to say to an alien you’d only just met the day before, but it seems to work in making him both flattered, and a bit hurt in regards to his pride, which he quickly tries to fix by puffing out his chest like a Turkey.

Then his mouth was opening and closing, as if he was trying to speak.

But nothing came out and his features fell. 

“You… you really can't speak can you?”

He shook his head, pulling down the zipper of the yellow with black striped leather jacket that had been zipped up to his chin.

The projected flesh which was revealed made her stomach roil in discomfort.

It was an old but gruesome wound, like a wild animal had sunk its teeth in and pulled.

There was silence between them for a moment before he pulled at his collar, folding it down, apparently set on not hiding the injury now that she knew it was there.

“Did… does it still hurt.”

He responded with a shake of his hand, as if to say 'so so’.

She bit her lower lip before speaking again. “Can I ask what happened?”

He nodded, moving to rest his own crossed elbows on the railing, before uncrossing them and pulling the notepad and pen back out of where he’d earlier tucked them into his pocket.

‘Megatron’ Was the first word he scribbled down.

“Megatron? What’s that?”

He gave her a surprised look.

‘You don’t know?’

“No… honestly… all I know is you’re aliens… the harpies used to be humans… and that I’m honestly way out of my league even being in the same building as you.” She replied, ducking her head, what was she even good for now? They’d needed her to act as bait, that was done, the Autobots were here… she could hear the chopper now that she thought about it, the low thum of an idling engine coming from above proving Wren’s earlier statement.

He tapped her shoulder to draw her attention back to the page. ‘Don’t cut yourself short. Everyone is special in their own way, what do you love to do?’

She smiled at that, albeit it was a bit on the forced and saddened side. “I… fix cars… my daddy taught me how… before he got thrown in jail… for stealing cars… I still tinker a lot… Trent refused to let me have a look at his beef wagon though, said it was perfectly fine and that he didn’t want a ‘girl’ looking at his engine… for fucks sake anyone with a set of ears could tell the drive shaft was more than one leg in the junkyard, same with the carburetor…” She looked up to gauge his expression, but found that he was smiling, and scribbling something new down.

Why did she even care what he thought? He probably wasn’t going to be on Earth long… once they had what they needed, they’d be gone… and she’d live her whole life knowing a little known secret about the universe… she wouldn’t tell anyone, they’d call her mad.

So… why was she so set on knowing what he thought?

‘I think that’s really cool! Not the sire being arrested bit… but if you have a talent, you should be respected for it! … Who’s ‘Trent’?’ The look he gave her was one of perplexed confusion, as if emphasising the last point in particular with his expression.

She couldn’t help the quiet, breathy chuckle it brought from her, funnily enough, even now she had no regret for dumping Trent, if anything, she felt… oddly liberated, free to do what she wanted.

“He was my Boyfriend, emphasis on was… I think you saw him, at the lake?” She knew he understood when he started scribbling again, showing her after a few quick moments.

‘You mean the hairless Orangutan? I thought he’d escaped from a nearby lab and was harassing you. Would of transformed and rushed to your aid if you hadn’t taken care of him yourself probably.’

Hairless Orangutan? Okay,  _ that _ got a laugh out of her, nearly a downright cackle.

She missed the bright smile on his features at seeing her previous solemn and thought filled expression being replaced by amusement he caused, he never got to do this anymore, just act his age and try to have fun with someone, even if he’d only met this human last night, he liked her, she was fun, and she didn’t distance herself when she found out about his injury… wait, he was supposed to be telling her about it, she did ask, and the conversation had gone a bit off track.

‘Back to the story of my war wound please?’

“Yeah, ha… kay… write away Bee.” 

‘Will do’ 

So, he did, he ended up actually telling her basically everything, simplified, but it still ate up the rest of the pad, leaving him with only random spots back through the notepad to try to squeeze more conversation out, he honestly didn’t want this to end yet.

Eventually though, her hand moved to rest over the one bearing the pen. “Alright, I think the notepads dead, I have another in my rucksack if you want?” 

Oh that was more than welcome, he nodded his head rapidly in agreement.

She led the way back inside, leaving him to take one last look at the world beyond.

Earth really was a nice place, he was glad he got to make a new friend on it.

Hopefully he got to stay as her guardian.

He wasn’t sure he was ready to say goodbye to this one like all the others he’d met during his long time on this planet trying to find the Cube.

When they returned to the level above, the atmosphere was completely different, and it sent a shiver down his holoforms pseudo spine at the chilled looks passing between the ‘Harpies’ as Mikaela told him they called themselves, given their avian forms, he felt it fit them well, but that was not what held his focus now.

It was Ira, who had apparently finally emerged during their time away, who spoke, but alas, he’d never managed to grasp the language she spoke then.

“Они убили его.”

That was when he noticed someone else had joined them, and had placed a laptop on the island in the kitchen for the others to see, it took him a moment to realise that it was the man who’d taken Mikaela from the lake in the white SUV, he wasn’t wearing the suit anymore, but a checkered navy and pale green shirt, with hawaiian shorts, and no shoes?

The man spoke then. “It apparently happened in the early hours of this morning… they’re all dead.” 

Okay… that wasn’t a good thing to say. 

The twins were exchanging concerned looks between each other, Kia’s expression was a stony neutral scowl.

Ira? Well, she looked livid.

“Yah mean ah hung under Airforce 1, fah fuckin’ nothin’?! Tha’ kid still get’s killed?! His whole family too?! God damnit! I didn’ let them ge’ one  _ byte _ ah information an’ they still fin’ him?!” 

“Ira.” The singular word from Wren stops the younger redhead dead. “That is not the only thing we should be concerned about here. Take a look, in the corner… see those gouges on the only still standing wall?!” Wren was pointing at something on the screen now with one sharp black nail.

Ira looked again, as did the rest of them.

It seemed to dawn on the red head then what the twin was implying.

“Oh fah fuckin’ sake! There’s ah fourth Harpy runnin’ abou’?!” 

“One who knew that Sam was likely the owner of the glasses, and lead the cons to him.” 

That was when Mikaela finally spoke up. “Sam? Like that dorky kid I got the glasses from?” 

Aria was the one who looked her right in the eyes and nodded. Then, she spoke. “He, his mother, and father were all found murdered in the rubble of their home this morning, as is a good chunk of their neighbours, who it would seem, went to see what had happened… death toll is currently at twenty six… Either blasted to pieces by a high powered ordanace, or simply crushed into the pavement until their skulls were smashed like eggs.”

He wasn’t even looking at her and he knew she’d locked up, going wide eyed, and dropped jawed, the same expression currently on his own features, with a healthy dose of disgust rolling in his tanks.

He’d been the boys guardian not two days ago.

Wren looked to Mikaela with an empathetic look. “I think… it would be better if you stayed here Mikaela, at least until after the Allspark has been obtained and these ‘Decepticons’ seen too, if the cons… and what we assume is another Harpy… knew his location without the access to the Potus mainframe… then you returning to Tranquility could be like putting a target on your back… especially given that the boy likely told them exactly  _ who _ he gave the glasses to before they killed him.”

The Autobots all turned to regard the two of them, and he decided it was probably best to lead her forwards into the group, so that they could have a look too at what the man, Winston he thinks, had brought to the others attention whilst they were gone.

Picking up on this, Kia reached out and spun the laptop around so as to give them a better look.

It was a news article, with the image at the top of the shambles of what he knew had been a really nice place to live.

Like they said, the only wall standing left of the building, bore four large gouges, three above, one below, with the center of the gouges being completely torn out within the grip of whatever had damaged the wall.

He glanced again at his charge, her eyes were blown wide in horror, a hand clasped over her mouth.

Already she was seeing the repercussions of them coming to Earth along with the Decepticons.

He was honestly surprised to see her gaze had hardened though, and her other hand clenched into fists.

When she spoke, it was with a sudden conviction. “Whatever it takes, I want to help. I want to stay and fight.” 

There was a long, heavy pause as Harpy’s and Autobots alike regarded her, he himself regarded her with a look of shock with a helping of pride.

It was broken by a sharp clap, jolting all attention to a beaming Aria. “Brilliant! Wren will be your trainer, you start next week.”

Kia huffed. “And how come I ca…. GAH!” Before she had even finished, Wren was behind her, and with one too quick to catch movement, she had Kia’s face pressed against the island, arms trapped between the two.

“That’s why.” Wren purred before letting the other Harpy go, who in turn pushed herself up like nothing had happened, the two exchanged a smirk as Kia brushed off non existent dust from the cream pleated shirt she wore. 

“Fair enough, fair enough. That okay with you chica? Wren being you’re trainer?” 

He looked again to his charge, and found she looked a little surprised, before she shrugged and smiled. “Sounds good to me.”

The twins seemed to exchange a look before Aria responded. “Well then, looks like we have a few things to do. Wren?” 

“I have a few calls to make, I’ll be back to continue this discussion in a while, thank you for bringing this to our attention Winston, Kia, I suggest you get your teams on high alert, Ira, go check in on the surveillance teams, if there’s another Harpy roaming America, we can’t run the risk of being caught off guard.” 

Ira gave Wren a mock salute. “Righ’ away boss…” before pushing off the table and heading towards him and his charge.

Both he and Mikaela stepped aside to let the red head through, and Bumblebee wouldn’t deny he shuddered slightly when her nails dragged ever so lightly across his holoforms jacket. Reminding him of how dangerous this one in particular was.

Which made him question, if Ira could knock a Cybertronian into stasis with just a touch… what could the others do?

He doubted it was anything pleasant, but knew they’d likely find out eventually.

He turned back to regard his comrades, Optimus’ expression was as stone faced as ever, Ratchet was sending Wren the ‘medic look’, Jazz was sitting on the Sofa trying to get the TV to work without having to ask anyone how to do that, and Ironhide was still looking intently at the news website, namely the image of what was left of the Witwicky residence.

He honestly felt terrible, he hadn’t been there to protect them, they were completely innocent… the terror they must of experienced as they were taken from the plain of existence… No one deserved it… but so many had...

There was no silver lining here, and the somber mood that had fallen was suffocating. 

He reached out and grabbed Mikaela’s hand again, and pulled her back towards the elevator, he had to get her out of this environment, he left his old charge, unknowingly leaving the boy to the wrath of the Decepticons, blinded by the need to obtain the glasses which were being used to lure his team away.

He couldn’t allow that to happen again, he had to make up for the sudden weight of guilt that had so suddenly buried itself in his spark.

Mikaela didn’t resist his pull towards the elevator that Ira herself had just disappeared through, her own expression a mix of haunted and uncertainty.

As they waited for the lift, he looked back to the kitchen, and saw something odd.

It was Aria, she’d turned away from the screen, hand clasped over her mouth so tight that her sharp nails dug into her pale skin, as if she was trying not to be sick.

But her eyes portrayed something else, a deep and calculative thought, as if she was meticulously going through herself every second of the Witwicky murder.

Something about that look didn’t sit right with him.

But the elevator was now open before them, and he was stepping in.

It was only as the doors began to close that he saw Aria change pose, as she turned to face Kia.

He only heard the first word she said before the doors closed in front of him.

“Fernando...”

* * *

Hoover Dam

They were sitting in a briefing room, under an amount of concrete that the man across from them seemed incredibly proud of for some reason. 

Glen was half asleep as well as looked like he was gradually returning from the grave after they hit a spot of turbulence in the helicopter that left the poor teen going green at the gills. 

Maggie was looking at the ominous looking marks in the wall, claw marks, he was certain of the fact that those marks, easily a meter long each, were claw marks, too uniform and blade like to be ‘structural fatigue’ as the man had said, did the guy not realise he’d spent days in the presence of beings who’s talons were easily three times thicker alone than whatever left those marks?

Finally there was Flint, who’d had to step out an hour ago when news came from the Pentagon that his mother was spitting fire down the line wanting to know why the fresh hell her son wasn’t picking up the phone and that she would skin every man who worked with the Government in a very unpleasant area if she found out her only son was dead.

He’d come back only five minutes ago and explained that he’d forgotten to tell his mother he’d been relocated from one side of America to the other and hadn’t terminated his landline, or really had the chance to organise any kind of details about the move, so there was about seven hundred curse filled voicemails waiting for him to get through when he got home.

Considering all of this, his own attention was rapt on the man sitting across from himself and his.. What? Motley crew of misfits? Really there was no better term for them, the son of a General who might of accidentally fucked up the world, an Australian signals analysis, her hacker buddy who knows about Ira, and Flint… Flint was just… Flint.

Motley crew, without a doubt. 

Back on topic, the man across from them was currently nose deep in a manilla folder someone else had brought in about two minutes ago before leaving before he could catch anything remarkable in regards to the delivery guys appearance, sans the guy was dark skinned, built like a tank and had horn rimmed glasses perched on his nose.

Deciding that he was sick of just sitting there in complete silence, he spoke. “So, are we actually gonna be getting that brief or what?” 

The man looked up from the folder, and then tossed the folder at him.

It settled in front of them, open, revealing an assortment of crime scene like pictures.

Who was he kidding, it  _ was  _ a crime scene. 

“Twenty Six American citizens in Tranquility California, not four hours drive from here, with no traffic, all murdered in the early hours of this morning, the homes raised the ground, the only survivor in the vicinity being a Chihuahua with a cast on its leg. The damage is consistent with high power weaponry that we simply as a species do not have possession of, i.e. what you don’t see in those pictures, doesn’t exist. And you know the kicker kiddo?” The man listed off, before pausing, watching horror sink into all of their faces, save Flint who’s expression had more turned to shock, the man was looking directly at him. “They found this, on the remaining wall of the house at the center of the carnage.” He pulled away one picture to reveal another.

What he saw made his stomach drop.

He was right… the claw marks in the wall were  _ tiny _ compared to what had taken out a good chunk of that brick wall.

“Look familiar to you? Rough estimates suggest the culprit was easily twenty foot or more. We need to know more about these ‘saviours’ of yours. Before they kill anyone else.”

Jamerson gulped. “They… they were a bit on the aggressive side, namely Ira and Kia… but the twins kept me safe…” 

“They needed you, you were their key into our files, our secrets, of course they’d keep you alive.” The man responded.

Jamerson nodded. “Fair enough… but it… I owe them my life… no, I don’t owe them anything, they betrayed my trust with that device. I’ll tell you everything I could get from my stay with them.” 

The man smirked. “Perfect, and hopefully soon, we can add them to our… shall we say, collection?” 

Maggie seemed to especially perk up at that, as did Flint for that matter Glen was still going through the pictures in the folder and turning ever more sickly looking.

“Collection?” Maggie parroted. 

The mans smirk grew wider. “How about I show you? Really break the glass ceiling in your minds in regards to what we’re dealing with here.” 

Before anyone could respond, the man that had been in his father's office, that he only just now realised he’d forgotten the name of, entered.

“Simmons, the survivors of the Qatar attack and subsequent attack are inbound, fifteen minutes till arrival.” 

The newly named man on the other side of the table, Simmons, regarded the other man with an even larger smirk. “Perfect! Sorry kids! Tour is delayed till the rest of the tour group arrives!” 

This man was odd.

This whole situation was odd.

No, this situation was dangerous, and he couldn’t risk letting his guard down.

He’d let them in once, and it possibly cost the Government all of its hard kept secrets. 

He couldn’t let something like that happen again.

He couldn’t let his country down.

He doubted he’d be able to survive another look of disappointment from his father.

He didn’t see the perplexed look of Maggie, or the still queasy Glen, and he didn’t see the intrigued look on Flint’s face as he rose from his seat. 

“There were survivors? This day really is getting interesting.”

* * *

**And that's it for now! Hope you enjoyed and I hope you have a good day!**


	11. Chapter 11

**Woo! New chapter! Not much to say other than I hope you all enjoy!**

* * *

Starscream’s temper was practically at its end.

Barricade could see it from a klik away as the seeker fumed. 

The target of that ire responded to the obvious aggression was a smirk so proud of itself he had the good sense to punch the mech responsible for it.

“Chill padre, if anythin’ the kid not havin’ tha glasses jus’ prooves mah point.” Fernando spoke up, wings folded across his chassis and draping down to the concrete floor as he reclined along a pile of abandoned rolls of carpet. 

Starscream’s seething features seemed to only turn more heated as the seeker ground his denta, causing them to screech against one another. “And what? …. Pray tell is that?”

“Tha’ Kia an her perras. Ah here, and fuckin’ up tha plot.” 

Starscreams scowl somehow managed to intensify.

Fernando huffed. “They have th’ glasses. No’ tha’ we need them, cause you know, I know where the Cube is.” 

Barricade put his two sense in with a growl, Frenzy was perched on his shoulder plating, rubbing still at his itchy servo.  

The minicon had lamented them with his harrowing experience on the human governments plane, and confirmed the fact that ‘Fernando’ wasn’t the only one of his weird kind on the planet.

Apparently the minicon had come out of the experience more than a little lucky if the feathered mech was to be believed, touting, ‘Better the Irish nut-job than the British banshees.’

Whatever that had meant. 

Regardless of the feathered mechs claims of Frenzy being lucky, the minicon was still worse for wear, his servo alone was causing him to develop a bit of a tick in his optic that matched each of the limbs twitchings.

Fernando had offered to just slice the limb off at the shoulder joint, ‘just amputate it, humans do it to their pets all the time’.

Frenzy had promptly chosen to hide in Barricade’s subspace for a good hour after that.

Now the minicon was back out, and glaring death at this mech who’d just waltzed in on everything, claiming some of the highest fragging tales like they were facts. 

It was all an aggravating mess, yet somehow the mech had managed to piss Starscream off enough with what seemed to be a type of reverse-psychology, he’d managed to get Starscream to call in all other Cons on this planets continent, including Blackout, who had apparently only just reached the state of Florida from his failed mission in Qatar.

Apparently Fernando also thought that was Ira. ‘She once flipped off the Pope, in his face, she wouldn’t hesitate to flip off an alien she’d bested’.

His train of thought was finally brought back to the present due to the sudden rush of motion in front of them, Starscream had taken a swipe at Fernando, only to have the feathered mech to vault backwards and out of the way of the seekers swipe like it had belonged to some frail human.

“Ha! Padre! With a swing like that, Kia alone could have yah head on ah silver platter before you knew they were in this state!” The mech called, now perched at the top of the pile of rolled up carpets, joints beant so that he could rest his wings against them, 

Barricade scowled. “You certainly have quite an opinion of her.” 

Fernando huffed, waving the mech off and looking off to the side like he was posing for some dramatic picture, he hated mechs like this honestly, waste of space and resources. 

“Of course! All little brothers hate their big sisters! I just have the added bonus of the fact that stupid fucking perra killed dad in cold blood!” 

Okay, that was new, he went to make a remark on that but he was cut off by Fernando as he performed a dramatic false faint and long, agonised sigh. 

“All because those fucking European perras put ideas in her head! Told her she shouldn’t let dad marry her off to that third cousin! Gah those fucking perras… fucking up everything… I was supposed to inherit the family business! Once she was married and out of the way it all would of been mine! But no! She had to go and get one of our best firing squads to take him out in his favourite cherry red lambo!”

Something in the back of Barricade’s helm twitched, he knew that… cherry red lambo… cherry… lambo... where had he heard it before?

His internal translator gave him the Cybertronian equivalent… and something in his processor seized.

It… couldn’t be...

The avian mech continued to rant, ignorant to the sudden shift in the former Kaonian enforcer.

Frenzy was sending him a look as well, but the minicons features were hard to discern since he took that new alt mode, the stereo, apparently he hasn’t found anything he’s liked better yet, which would give him a decent face.

Even with all that, Frenzy seemed to have come to a similar conclusion, and was in a similar state of disbelief.

Old memories flickered trying to come back to the forefront of his consciousness , but out of reflex he pushed them all back.

He focused his attention on Frenzy, who’s shaking had suddenly expanded beyond his servo, but this was not the virus that afflicted him, and so, carefully he offered a digit for the minicon to cling to.

Frenzy took the offered digit like a lifeline, clinging tight to it, Barricade could only watch, the little minicon had never properly learned how to push back memories without the help of his fellow cassettes, so for now, he’d have to weather through.

Some day, they’d find Soundwave and reunite the minicon with his real guardian.

For now though, the minicon was stuck with him. And if that meant anything to the cruiser, it meant never letting this mad avian mech near the minicon again, Frenzy was in enough trouble already, what with that virus wrecking havoc of his servos motor control, and now, this.

Starscream decided to cut the mech off again his voice as shrill as it was, cutting Barricade out of his internal musings. “Well then! Where is the Cube?!” 

Fernando rolled his helm. “I’ll tell you when all yah padres get here, wouldn’t want you freaks to be outgunned, would we?” 

Either this mech had some processor left, or he was getting a serious rise out of getting under all of their armour. 

He had a feeling it was actually both.

Realising he was better off taking Frenzy on a pointless patrol of the area, over staying here with these two, Barricade rose back up, nudging Frenzy enough for the minicon to let go and move away long enough to Transform and let Frenzy back into his passenger seat, if Barricade’s seat belt over the minicon was slightly tighter than usual, neither of them mentioned it.

They had a day or so to wait until Bonecrusher and the others arrived, and he was not risking losing his own still rising temper around this mech any more than he had to.

Frenzy seemed to have a similar position as the former enforcer, sinking as far into the leather upholstery as possible with a rattling vent.

It didn’t stop Fernando noticing their departure. “Hey! Bring me back a snack would yah! That sheep wasn’t worth shit and I’m hungry!” 

Barricade chose to ignore the demand as he sped away.

Once out of audio range, he muttered to himself. “What a disgusting creature.” 

Frenzy just nodded in agreement, optics lost in a thousand klik stare out of the tinted front window.

* * *

Las Vegas

Mikaela looked up from the magazine she’d had thrown at her by Ira about half an hour ago, she’d quickly accepted the form of entertainment whilst the rest of the group discussed amoung themselves things she’d honestly rather stay out of, a heist on a Government Facility, no matter how the Harpy’s spun their plan, remained something she didn’t want any more part in.

She’d also needed the distraction, the knowledge that so many people were suddenly dead… it was weighing heavy on her conscience. 

She’d looked up upon realising the room had fallen strangely quiet, and found that her hosts were all no longer present once again, and the Aliens were all looking at her.

Not the un-interested looks she’d received by them at passing glance over the last few hours save Bumblebee after they returned from their second bit of fresh air.

No, now they were all just staring at her from the kitchen table, deathly silent.

Going to speak, she found her voice caught in her throat, so instead, tried to be as subtle as possible in clearing it, it seemed to have a preferable affect anyway, as it seemed to snap the group out of their staring and back to reality.

The holoform she’d guessed was the leader of the group, what with how he held himself, pushed off the table and stepped towards her.

Mikaela found herself frozen to her spot on the sofa until he was directly in front of her, kneeling, and offering his hand out palm up.

Now in the sun’s rays from the windows, she found the mans black hair to hold the faintest blue hue, only noticeable when you’re looking directly at it.

It suited him, along the the heavy faded red leather jacket, greying white plain shirt underneat and the torn, well worn blue jeans and black combat boots.

“Optimus Prime.” 

Blinking out of her quick observation along with an equally quick shake of the head, she finally managed to get a word out.

“Huh?” 

“My designation, it is Optimus Prime, I do not believe we have been formerly introduced yet.”

“Oh.” He certainly had a unique voice, deep with a light reverberation, it reminded her of Aria and Wren oddly, well more Aria with that odd ringing quality her half of their voices had, Wren’s was too… monotone, like a broken bell trying to chime, hollow.

The holoform nodded, tilting his head along with his still offered hand. “And you?”

Realising what he wanted out of this situation she accepted his hand, and felt only the lightest charged feeling, making the fine hairs on her hand stand up slightly, the projection other than that, felt so life like, it even had an artificial pulse! She wasn’t sure whether to consider it a marvel of science, or insanely creepy.“Um, Mikaela, Mikaela Barnes.”

Bright blue eyes wrinkled at the edges with the mans… Optimus’ smile. “A pleasure to meet you Miss Barnes. Permit me to introduce the rest of my unit?” 

Well that was incredibly formal of him.

“Um, you… may?” She replied, waving her free hand as he let go of her other, moving to stand again and move to the side to allow the other four to step over.

The first to step forward was a holoform with a significantly darker skin tone, wearing a sleek white jacket with a blue and red stripe running down either side of the zip, which was open to reveal a skin tight sports shirt underneath made up of a semi-transparent net material, like really conservative fishnets… the ensemble look was added to by the black dress pants and silver converse. 

His hair, was equally diverse from the others, the mass of dreadlocks were pulled backwards and fastened by a thick silver band at the back of the head, with the fringe being made up of stray loose curls that framed the bright blue, aviator sunglasses he wore. 

Then the man bowed, with an over exaggerated wave right out of one of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies.

“Well ain’ you tha prettiest li’l femme on this whole rock? Names Jazz, First Lieutenant to Optimus Prime.”

She doubted she could stop the light flush of her cheeks as she took to offered hand. “Nice to… meet you too… um Jazz?”

“Yes?” 

“Are you trying to be Louisianan, or Jamaican?”

The holoform was apparently caught up short by that as he turned to Optimus and promptly hissed out. “I didn’t know there was a difference!” 

She snorted out a laugh behind her clenched fist at that one, he was an Alien, who’d only arrived yesterday, she couldn’t blame him for not knowing the different origins in the accent and as a result, getting them mashed together in his attempt to come of as human as possible.

The holoform deflated for a moment before shaking it off and giving her a bright smile. “Well anyway! How are yah feeling? All of this must be weighing pretty heavy on your li’l helm righ’?”

She frowned slightly, glancing down at her lap before sighing. “If I can be honest?” She glanced up to see all of them nod, urging her on. “I’m scared… confused… I have this weight in my gut and a whisper in my ear that I’ve done something horribly wrong… Sam, and all his family and neighbours… they’re all dead because I bought the glasses… I don’t blame the Harpy’s… they were trying to help you guys… they had no idea that someone else might of known that Sam owned the glasses… but I was the one who led Bumblebee away… leaving him vulnerable…” She stopped when a weight came down on her shoulder.

Looking to the source she found that Bumblebee had sat down next to her, his wide, expressive eyes filled with a guilty sorrow all his own.

She couldn’t help herself, she turned and pulled him into a tight hug.

She felt him freeze, arms hovering above her back and shoulder, uncertain of what he had to do.

After a few moments though, the hug was returned. 

They broke apart almost as quickly as the hug began, Bumblebee’s hand returning to its place on her shoulder as he glanced at one of the other men who’d yet to be introduced, becoming the scowling man forwards.

After an incredibly over-exaggerated eye roll the man stepped forwards. 

The man honestly looked like he was more well built than a tank with all the muscles she spotted  _ rippling _ with the two steps he took to stand before her. The black leather biker jacket and crimson red low neck shirt underneath seemed to strain to contain the man’s musculature, and it was a similar story for the torn jeans that looked like just trying to get them on had shredded them.

She was hesitant to take the hand he offered her, but after a nudge from Bumblebee she accepted the man's hand.

“Ironhide.” He announced, his gruff voice seemed to have a faint hint of an accent, but she couldn't place it.  

She just numbly nodded, surprised to find that he didn’t crush her hand with his grip like she’d been half expecting.

Apparently Ironhide found some humour in this and patted her on the shoulder with his other hand. “So long as you’re not a con, you don’t have to fear about me crushing your skull like a scraplet.” 

She decided to not ask what one of those was, just nodding and watching as the last of the group, who honestly looked like he’d had very little sleep whatsoever recently shoved at Ironhide’s side.

It got the other man to step aside.

Then the man, with the salt and pepper hair was offering his hand, he didn’t look old persee, just, stressed, and that stressed had made him look a bit like a mad scientist.

And now that image wasn’t getting out of her head. 

She took the offered hand as he introduced himself.

“Ratchet, chief medical officer.”

So a doctor, explained in an odd way the colour scheme of his attire, white shirt, the cuffs and other details all an ominous blood red. Large murse slung over his shoulder that seemed to weigh a good tone with how sagged the fabric was. 

“Ratchet, nice to meet you.” The handshake was promptly ended and she suddenly found herself being scowled at by the holoform.

“How much do you know about these… femmes?”

“Err, not much… they just had me bring the glasses… and I fainted when I saw Kia... you know, her actual form… just after Ira knocked out Bumblebee, so I don’t even know what the other three look like. Winston’s the guy I’ve spent the most time with, he’s nice.” She replied. “Aria and Wren were the ones who approached me, well, more sent a formal invitation for me to come all the way here to Vegas to meet them… I don’t have much to say about any of them to be honest.” She admitted, twiddling her thumbs together.

As if sensing the lull in conversation, the elevator pinged. 

All attention went to the corridor that led to the elevator as Kia came strutting into view, wearing an entirely new ensemble, still staying to the cream with rouge highlights colour scheme, only now the dress she wore was a single piece, cream with a stunning embroidery of a collection of blood red roses just before the eyebrow raising slit that only ended at the top of her left thigh, the upper half only held in place by the fabric wrapped around her neck. Mikaela swore if the woman bent over everything would be on display.

There was also the fact that there wasn’t a back to the dress until after her shoulder blades, something that Mikaela only noticed as Kia came into view for a few moments before the woman turned to face them, pushing up the wide brim black lace and velvet sun hat she was wearing so her bright gold eyes could regard them.

“Mikaela, you’re father is being picked up by my boys as we speak. Once he has been brought here, we want the both of you to go down into the bunker, you’ll be safe down there, probably. The rest of you. Do whatever you need to get ready. Due to the attack in Tranquility we’ve brought forwards the raid to the next night shift where we have our boys and girls inside. That’s in fourteen hours. It takes fifty minutes to get from here to the dam by road. But if we want to be fully set up whilst taking time to make sure we’re not detected. We will have to leave here with an extra two hours in advance at the least. Understood? Ira has already sent Keeley ahead to locate and enter the vent so that she can access the isolated internal systems and transmit them directly to Ira. Ira will be setting up in the bunker as well so we advise you don’t disrupt her. Myself, Aria and Wren, will go with you under the cover of darkness so that we’re not spotted in the air once Ira’s dampened their radar capabilities. Am I clear?”

There was a heavy pause, Ironhide huffed and muttered something that she couldn’t catch but felt like it was unsavoury.

Thankfully Optimus quickly silenced him with a look before turning back to Kia. “Thank you. For all of your aid in this, I and my mechs will get ready to depart… Bumblebee?” Optimus had turned back to looked towards her and her guardian, who still sat next to her on the sofa.

She felt his holoform’s grip tighten on her shoulder, glancing over she found his expression conflicted, bright blue eyes flicking between her, Optimus and Kia. 

She reached up and patted the hand on her shoulder. “Go, I’ll be safe here. You’ve probably seen how fortified they’ve made this place. Go with them.”

Bumblebee seemed to take a moment more to convince himself of something, before shaking his head, reaching into his pocket and pulling out her notebook and pen, scribbling down his answer.

‘Staying here.’

A look of surprise went through all of the adult holoforms, Kia including, who raised an eyebrow before shrugging and gaining the faintest of smiles. “Alright. Hold the fort for us then.” Kia then looked to the other four. “You have a few hours to do as you wish before we move out, so don’t stay cooped up in here.” With that, she was walking away, heading to where Mikaela had figured her room was, pausing long enough to pet the helm of Nibbler, who’d raised his head from where he and Hera had been sleeping, having apparently taken up the other sofa with their combined feathery bulk whilst she and Bumblebee had been having their second breather. 

The two mechanical birds weren't really doing anything, save Nibbler’s head lift, so she’d mostly ignored them and let them be. 

Though right after that thought went through her mind Nibbler’s head suddenly shot out, beak wide.

It bit down on thin air not a moment after Kia’s hand left the spot. 

“Ah, ah, ah. You’ve already had your lunch.” Kia chastised, before continuing on her path and out of sight.

It was only when the sound of a door closing came from out of sight that Optimus spoke, regarding Bumblebee. “You are certain of this?” 

Bumblebee nodded, scribbling something else down.

‘I can’t fail in protecting my charge again.’

She’d had a feeling that was why.

“Very well Bumblebee, but be alert, we may need backup.” Optimus spoke, giving the yellow and black themed holoform a nod, and an oddly proud smile, if a bit melancholic in its delivery.

That seemed to be the final word on the matter, as the four standing holoforms all just… vanished, flickering out of existence as their physical projections faded away to nothingness, leaving only empty air in their wake.

Spinning her gaze back to Bumblebee she turned enough to sit cross legged on the sofa. 

“You didn’t have to do that.” She pushed, placing the palms of her hands down inside the gap between her crossed legs and hips.

Bumblebee shrugged, causing those oddly gravity defying locks of blonde and black to bounce, looked like they weren’t quite obeying the laws of physics. 

He was scribbling something else into the notebook now. 

‘I don’t trust them with your prolonged safety.’ 

“Really?”

‘Yes.’

“Really?”

‘Please don’t continue to repeat yourself. We’re talking about a group that included one that knocked me unconscious.’

“Okay, fair enough, but at least give them a chance? Winston puts his faith in them, and he’s nice enough?”

‘The guy with the laptop?’

“Yes the guy with the laptop.”

‘He was the one who picked you up at the lake.’

“Yes he was. He’s one of Kia’s employees. Winston said as much when she joined us for the flight to Vegas.”

‘I still don’t trust them. Don’t know enough about them. Want to find out more.’

“Like, spy on them?” 

‘I’m a scout, it’s what I do.’

“You know, it’s wrong to go rifling through your hosts privacy.”

‘I know. But this is war.’

“Not with them, they don’t want to fight, haven’t you noticed that? They’re taking the path of least conflict from where I’m seeing this.”

‘Fine, stop giving me that look, but come on! Tell me this all isn’t setting off a few alarms in your helm?!’

Something told Mikaela this was going to go on for a while. But really, she had to agree with him on that one.

* * *

**And that's all for now! Hope you all enjoyed! And see you all next time!**

**Moon**


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Decided to re-design the Harpies look, image should be at the bottom.

Jamerson looked around from his new spot in a room that was far too small for the number of people currently crammed inside.

There was himself of course, Flint, Maggie, Glen, The secretary of Defense himself, the survivors of the Qatar base attack, who’d they’d all been introduced to a few hours prior, which consisted of William Lennox, Robert Epps, Jorge ‘Fig’ as he preferred to be called, who was laying on a stretcher with a massive puncture wound through his left kidney, and a few others and of course Simmons and Banacheck.

And at the centre of the room, taking up a good chunk of the space, was a large glass box with it’s own little door.

He could only guess what that was for given that this room had a notably, and worryingly, higher amount of damage to the exterior walls, looking very much like claw marks.

And bullet holes.

Glen had even only a few moments ago, made the mistake to joke that one set in particular were from Wolverine, evidently from his now cowed state, the others in the room, Jamerson included, weren’t having that.

Then again, Fig had laughed too, much to his own pain given he’d pulled at his patched up injury.

“Alright! Anyone got any digital devices? We need to show you what our crown jewel can do!” Simmons called, clapping his hands together.

Jamerson was almost immediately pulling out the memory stick that had been given to him by the Harpies, if this box could somehow bust it, he’d be more than happy. So, without much hesitation, he tossed it to Simmons, the techs had already done all they could to crack the thing, and had failed, so it was as good as dead space at this point.

Simmons caught it without even looking in his direction, looking over the tiny storage device, he whistled as he ran his thumb over it, twisting it about in his hold. “Oooh, this the little bugger?” He asked, but all Jamerson answered with, was with a nod. “Good quality, durable build. 64 gigabytes of storage? Not surprised you used it. Welp, never put tech from an NBE in here before.” With that, he was opening the little door in the box, and placing the little metal memory stick inside.

“Goggles on everyone, don’t want any of you going blind now.” Banacheck called out, urging everyone to pull the heavy goggles  over their faces.

Jamerson had only just finished putting on his when Simmons gestured for Banacheck to pull an ridiculously oversized switch on the wall.

Once it was pulled down, a low thrum built within the room, the air becoming charged with static, making the hair on his arms stick up on end.

“We take the energy from the Cube, and funnel it into that box right there. And what happens next… well, best to see for yourself huh?” Simmons seemed to joke.

A tiny mechanical arm dropped down to the memory stick, hovering over it for a moment before there was an impossibly bright flash, causing him to flinch back, as did the others, despite the thick tint of the goggles.

Once it was over, he pulled the goggles off, just in time to watch the memory stick _shake_ , memory sticks didn’t shake.

“What the…. Jesus Christ!” He heard William shout as the memory stick suddenly erupted into a flurry of different parts, reforming almost instantly into an absolutely tiny little spider like creature with a singular green orb staring out at Maggie.

“Holy shit.” Muttered the woman, hand clutched over her chest.

The thing stayed perfectly still, whilst the singular orb swivelled around on the little cable it was attached to, taking in them all.

Then, it shifted back, within a moment turning back into the memory stick.

Simmons eyebrows lifted in a display of mild surprise. “Hmm, normally they put up more of a fight than that. Probably too small or something.” The agent remarked, picking up a small remote with a singular red button that his thumb hovered over.

The near silence that had fallen in the room was shattered not a moment later by a ear splittingly loud siren that erupted from the speaker built into the wall.

So sudden was it that Simmons actually dropped the remote in his sudden need to cover his ears, like the rest of those in the room to try and drown out the volume.

**_‘DANGER! DANGER! MASSIVE STRUCTURAL FAILURE DETECTED IN THE MAIN DAM SUPPORT! EVACUATE! EVACUATE! EVACUATE! PROTOCOL 5.9.ALPHA, ALL PERSONNEL MUST EVACUATE TO HIGHER GROUND. DO NOT USE THE ELEVATORS. THIS IS NOT A DRILL. THIS IS AN EMERGENCY, ALL NON-ESSENTIAL POWER IS TO BE SHUT DOWN TO PREVENT RISK OF ELECTROCUTION.’_ ** A booming voice called over the wailing siren.

So loud was it that he barely made out Banacheck shouting for them all to leave the room.

Somehow in the rush he ended up being one of the two pushing Fig’s Stretcher.

The room was evacuated in moments, leaving the little memory stick trapped in the box to unfurl back out, it’s optic bouncing in mirth as it moved to the side of the box, and with a sharpened leg tip, cut a hole through the glass, pushing the cut circle out, the little memory stick clambered out, quickly scaling the side of the box and up to the vent above, where it easily slipped through the grate and into the waiting talons of it’s overseer

Keen fluctuating eyes watched as the doors shut on their own, the sirens still wailing above.

Keeley sent a ping to her master, pausing long enough to, with one talon still on the ground, push the memory stick mini-mini bot into her holoforms plumage, where it quickly took hold, it would be safe there.

Shuffling back down the vent away from the room, Keeley returned to the panel she’d torn off from inside the vent, it was a simple meter, but the dam was connected by a singular isolated network, so it was all she needed to give her master full rein over the dam.

That included the alarm system, and the other meters that were displaying this false information.

~Oh what fun games we play. The humans, our puppets, bound to their strings. Oh how we make them dance for our glee.~ She cooed, looking at the little cable she’d plugged into the meter, which was in turn stretching all the way back to where her true form rested, just outside of the broken vent, where she was transmitting control of the entire dam to her master.

The sirens continued to blare their warning, they’d wait until there was no more personnel leaving the dam before the other Harpies and their ‘guests’ moved in from their hiding places, the security cameras already showing little to no life anywhere in the da… Ira had spotted something… there was a group of humans trying to hide themselves… at the order of a very recognisable human.

_“Yah know what tah do.”_ Her master’s command came over their bond.

She gave a little chitter in reply, shuffling back down  towards where the moderately sized group was trying to hide, the mini-mini bot providing her with full facial scans with each, which she promptly sent back to her master.

She would make sure they didn’t interfere. Personally.

Even if she had to fly her full frame into the building, wasn’t like anyone was going to see her use the front door now...

* * *

Downstream of the dam

It was perplexing really, Optimus mused, turning his attention again to Aria and Wren, who had landed a few minutes ago behind the same boulder he’d taken to hiding behind close to the edge of the gorge.

Dusk had finally fallen only a short while ago, replacing the brightness of the day with the colder inky blackness, the stars high above and the only just visible crescent of the moon being the only light around them.

He and his Autobots had left ahead of the Harpies, who had remained in their holoforms with their true frames hidden away.

It had raised an interesting question for him to add to the pile of ever growing inquires he planned to make.

Were they unhappy with these forms?

It was obvious that they’d spent the majority of their lives as humans before this ‘Space time anomaly’ occurred, melding them with the same species as their avian companions, and Cybertronians at the same time, creating the strange amalgamations they were now.

Something nudging his side cut off the Prime’s thought process as the twins shifted beside him, though it was already too dark to make out what part of the silhouette poked him.

Though the slight reflection of his own optics managed to catch their visor as it turned to him.

“Keeley is taking care of some stragglers, but Ira’s given us the all clear. Signal your mechs, we’re going in.” Wren stated, before pushing themselves upwards with the last spanse of their wing support.

They were already clambering over the boulder before he could nod, that same grinding sound reaching his audios when their right pede was moved, despite the brace and Ratchet’s attempts, the noise at least had only been quieted, not completely silenced.

Clearly there was still more for his CMO to begrudgingly do. He knew Ratchet wasn’t going to leave the injury as it is, it just wasn’t what Ratchet did.

Which meant that he’d likely have to insist that they remain in contact at least once the Allspark is secure. Or otherwise taken care of…

He hadn’t had the time to address the issue with his unit…

“Prime?” Aria’s call from a little ways ahead alerted him to the reality he hadn’t actually moved, nor let the rest of his mechs know to move in.

Ironhide and Ratchet were with Kia, while Jazz hid elsewhere.

Sending off a simple confirmation that it was time to move in to the three mechs, Optimus made quick work of swinging each pede over the boulder and stepping up to where Aria and Wren now stood, half turned to him, but helm turned towards the spotlit damn, giving him only the silhouette of the back of their helm.

It was strange watching those odd protrusions twitch and flutter, the majority of the movement being on the left side, Aria, whilst those on the right remained mostly low against the rest of the helm, Wren.

“They’re moving in.” He voiced, watching as they nodded and began walking, their frame hunching forwards and wings flaring out somewhat for balance as their frame shifted, their right pede grinded and what he now realised were actually surprisingly long tail feathers, dragged slightly along the ground behind them, knocking pebbles and dust as they went. He couldn’t actually see them, but the sounds were telling enough.

It was out before he even knew he was thinking it. “Is there something wrong with your frame structure?”

Almost immediately his processor ground to a halt as their helm snapped back around to him, the paleness of their faceplates lighting up bellow their visor as they tilted their helm up to look, no, glare at him, he didn’t need to see them to know their optics had narrowed at him under their pitch black visor.

“You really better watch that mouth Prime. A loose tongue is one easily _sliced off._ ” They snarled, leaning up closer so he could make out the parted lip-plates and the curved metal blades hidden behind.

His frame leant back in instinctual reflex, as his vocaliser tried to spit out an apology with his processor still struggling to catch back up with the present.

“That… that came out wrong. I am deeply sorry.” He finally managed to get out after a few failed attempts.

All he got was a huff back from them, before they were moving towards the dam again.

Then they speak.

“It’s hardly like you’re the first person to ask. Only difference is you’re not holding a scalpel to our skull.”

He paused in his own steps again. Muttering under his vents so quietly he couldn’t even hear it, but he knew he said it.

“What?”

Nothing else was spoken between them until they finally stepped into the spot lit concrete at the base of the dam, where Ironhide, Jazz, Ratchet, and Kia were already waiting for them.

Finally he could see Aria and Wren standing in the light, it was odd really, but not something he could so easily focus on when Kia started talking.

“We have an hour at most before they all start heading back. So look lively mechs.” The darker brown, cream and rouge femme remarked, already walking again, followed by Aria and Wren, towards the main entrance, which was noticeably short compared to his own height.

It would seem they were right, he was going to have to stoop quite a bit at least if he wanted to get through the tunnel himself.

It would also seem that their ‘hosts’ for lack of a better word at present, where far more anatomically adapted to entering the tunnel given the fact he was pretty certain his main strut would snap in half if he tried to curve himself that far forwards so as to rest the main strut of his non-existent wings to the ground, and begin walking on all fours down the tunnel like it was just another perfectly natural way of getting about for them, which for all he again knew, was in fact the truth of the matter.

With a single gesture, for his own mechs to follow him, he moved to lower himself into a crawl, an undignified position, but the scrape of his audio arrays on the top of the curved tunnels roof signified the necessity of it.

They were like this for a ways before he felt it, the Allspark, it was a feeling difficult to describe, but he recognised it like none other.

It was calling out.

The urge to rush to it was indescribable, but at the same time, he found himself stuck behind the Harpies, who were going towards a separate chamber, away from the Allspark.

That was when it dawned on him where they were being led to first.

Megatron.

* * *

Maybe convincing everyone to hide in this cramped storage room was a bad idea.

An opinion that only really dawned on Jamerson when after about ten minutes the sirens died down, as did the calls on the intercom.

Hushed whispered went between Glen and Maggie, the Secretary of freaking defence was sending him unamused looks from where he was crouched on the floor, along with Simmons and Banacheck, Flint was jittery, checking his watch every twenty seconds, with the pulse on his temple actually visible, apparently he was still waiting for the damn to fail and his imminent death to finally arrive.

Which was fair by him, Jamerson had gone on a hunch, not fact, yes they’d all seen his memory stick turn into a little demon from hell, the pictures and the news reports of that suburb in California being wrecked five ways to Sunday, but clearly not everyone was fully convinced as they all sat/crouched as close together as possible, even Fig had forced himself off his stretcher so they could push it down the corridor to avoid taking up unnecessary room and draw less attention to the door.

The real reason for his concern was the realisation that the only way out was through the door they had entered through, and with his ear pressed to the cold steel, he could hear something coming towards them.

Namely, something which scrapped against the concrete.

He’d already told everyone to shush, and felt his heart nearly stop when the steps finally reached in front of the door, and stopped.

Then, breaking the silence, a little chirp.

Now everyone was frozen still. Lennox was even aiming his gun at the door along with Epps.

The silence was palpable, the sudden tension so thick it was near suffocating.

Broken when something slipped between the thin gap of the doors, it was too dark to see what, but the telling clack of the lock breaking was enough to cease every heartbeat in that room.

What came next was the grind of the left door being pulled open from out of sight.

Jamerson gulped, waving to the others to stay down, lifting his ear away from the right door he pushed himself up, and peered out.

Almost immediately, he found himself eye to glass glowing orb.

Letting off a startled shout he backpedaled into the door, hissing at the sudden pain up his back at the impact.

Keeley. It was Keeley, he realised as she chittered, the bird, in its upright position, being level to his own height of 6’5.

Finally after a few moments of the mechanical bird obtaining a look of ‘are you broken’, possibly defying the laws of nature in the process but that had gone out the window a while ago for him, he found his tongue and tried to use it. “God damnit Keeley you nearly gave me a heart attack!” He exclaimed, gesturing to her in general. “I knew you lot had something to do with this!” He continued, his previously shocked features morphing into jubilation.

But when reality caught back up to him, he felt his gut drop.

Keeley was here… which meant that Ira was likely here… and where Ira was it was a safe bet to say so were Arien and Kia.

“Good God.”

His head nearly snapped clear off his neck with how fast his head turned, finding none other than Mr John Keller standing next to him looking at Keeley with a mix of horror and intrigue.

Gulping he gestured to Keeley, not daring to risk his fingers getting too close. “Sir… this is Keeley.”

Mr Keller blinked a few times before he spoke. “Is this the leader?”

He almost laughed, it might of been the adrenalin, or the stress, or whatever, but the fact he nearly punched himself in the mouth to stop himself from _laughing_ at the Secretary of Defence suggested he might just be ready to book himself a nice place in a padded cell.

A few of the others had also worked up the courage to poke their heads out, including Maggie and Lennox who were staring at Keeley in jaw dropped silence.

Keeley just clicked her beak, that lethally sharp set of metal blades not a foot from his head.

God she could kill all of them and they’d not be able to do shit.

She was looking at the Secretary, head tilted to the side and metal feathers ruffled up a bit, making her look somewhat… cute… Out of all of them, he’d spent the most time with Hera, what with Arien looking after him and keeping the others away from him, so he wasn’t really sure what Keeley’s whole deal was.

At least it wasn’t Kia who’d found them, she didn’t hide the fact she wanted him dead.

Which made the fact that she was likely here all the more worrying…

Maybe Arien would keep him safe again for old times sake?

Probably not.

He felt a tug on his shirt sleeve, turning he found Simmons had now joined him at the door, and was trying to pull him back away from Keeley with fear in his eyes.

Fear was in all of their eyes.

And Keeley could see it. She was smirking, he knew she was.

Like she knew a horribly dirty secret that was going to get them all killed.

Then, she was stepping towards them, form lowering to balance out with her tail feathers spread wide in their wedge shape.

He backed up into the room, causing the others to do the same.

Keeley somehow managed to scowl at him snapping her beak before promptly pushing him out of the way like he was a dead bundle of tumbleweed by sheer fact that she was bigger than him and wanted him out of the way.

“Hey!” He exclaimed, but she completely ignored him, eyes locked on… Maggie?

The blonde analysts eyes were blown wide in fear as she tried to step back away from Keeley, who was clearly set on getting right up into the analysts personal space.

The men around her all tried to keep out of Keeley’s way, pinning themselves to the wall as her ridiculously sharp talons scraped the concrete floor.

Maggie honestly had nowhere to go, and her back was to the back wall before he could really think of anything he could do.

Keeley was set on Maggie, and he knew there was nothing he could do really.

Keeley reared up again, feathers ruffling before she pushed the curve of her beak into Maggie’s shoulder, causing the woman to completely lock up.

That was when he spotted it, the little spider crab thing that had been his memory stick clamber between the two and onto Maggie's shoulder.

She evidently felt the little thing, given her flinch when it’s sharp legs dug into her skin like needles.

The micro bot swayed for a moment as Keeley pulled away and clicked at it.

It seemed to activate the micro bot or something, as, before Maggie could even throw the thing off her shoulder, it had climbed the side of her neck and was hovering over her ear.

He heard the sound of a guns safety click off from somewhere in the room and felt his stomach just give up and drop to the core of the planet.

Evidently Keeley heard it to.

The birds neck and head snapped around to stare at Simmons, the man being the one to draw his gun.

Before anything else could happen, Maggie screamed.

All attention snapped back to Maggie. There was blood, and a good bit of it.

Glen, who had been the closest to her, quickly became visibly sick from the gore.

Maggie was screaming for good reason.

That damn thing had just sliced half her ear off.

Keeley was just starring as the blonde tried to rip the thing off, but it’s hold was absolute.

He watched in horror as the little pest transformed, half embedding itself into the flesh of her shredded ear.

The deed was done, her shoulder and half of her face covered in a splattering of her own blood as she stared out at them in horror, hand numbly touching the pest that had just merged with her.

He honestly felt like being sick himself, as did the others around him from the looks of it, Glen was the only one who’d actually lost his what? Breakfast? Lunch? Whatever the kid had last eaten, it had joined the remains of Maggies ear on the floor.

Then, Keeley clicked, and Maggie was staring at the bird instead.

“What?”

Keeley clicked again, swaying from side to side, sending her wedged tail feathers swaying themselves, brushing against the floor.

Maggie’s eyes went from Keeley to him and the rest of the men in the room, at least half of them had drawn guns now, not just Simmons.

Keeley tilted her head to look back at him.

He’d never thought it would be possible, but that damn thing was smirking at him.

Whatever had just happened, she’d won, and she knew it.

Maggie… well, she was clearly more than a little shaken by what had just happened, one hand still cradling her ear, and in turn, the sentient machine that had just… whatever the fuck it just did he didn’t want to know.

Then Keeley started really clicking, well, it was more than just clicking, it sounded more like she was talking, in bird.

God he needed his head examined.

But something else was happening, Maggie’s eyes were widening, not in fear, but in awe.

“I… I can really understand you…” She stuttered out.

That got one hell of an excited trill out of Keeley, the giant bird was practically bouncing on her haunches, swaying from side to side still, and overall looking like someone happy drunk and having no idea where they were and not caring.

“By god... Did you know it could do that?” Mr Keller suddenly spoke up, looking at Simmons and Banacheck.

Banacheck didn’t answer, Simmons just wildly gestured in Keeley and Maggie’s general direction with a look of ‘You expect us to know?!’.

When all of this was over, he was going to take that vacation he’d been putting off and get stone faced drunk and just try to forget all of this crazy shit.

Lennox and his crew looked equally as done with this as him. Lennox apparently wished to voice is own opinion on the matter.

“Sir, we fought with a giant metal scorpion in the desert and it’s tail was still alive after we severed it. I think anything is possible right now.”

Glen, who was still recovering from his spell, let off a pained chuckle, gesturing to Keeley. “You never answered us… this the leader?”

Keeley squawked at him.

Maggie took that que to translate. “No. She’s Ira’s companion. She’s smallest of the group.” The very statement had an almost chilling effect on all those around him, as they took that information in, staring at Keeley, who stood before them easily the size of a small pony.

Maggie looked to him, almost pleading with him when she spoke again. “Just how big… are they?”

He responded truthfully. “Given that Ira carried Keeley on her chest… I’d say really big… Arien’s the biggest out of all of them… I’d say… twenty seven, twenty eight feet tall, and I’ve only seen them stooped over in a cave.”

He swore Glen looked like he was about to clean pass out at that, and he wasn’t the only one.

He heard Simmons whisper something to Banacheck.

“They haven’t even seen NBE-1 yet.”

Why wasn’t that statement reassuring?

* * *

Cosmopolitan

They were out on the balcony again, it was a nice, quiet place, which it currently was not, given the fact that his charges sire had arrived not half an hour ago and was still accusing him of kidnapping his daughter amoung other similar accusations.

He’d already burnt through a whole note pad trying to explain is innocence whilst his charge made her own, valiant, but futile, attempts to calm her sire down.

They’d been having another talk, just watching the world roll by beneath them, when they'd spotted a sleek grey helicopter approaching the hotel, at first he'd fretted it was a Deception, but the almost scripted appearance of a timid hotel staff member, allowed him to calm down somewhat knowing that it was merely his charges sire being dropped off, and that the man would be lead down to them.

Apparently the reason it has taken him so long to be dropped off was because he'd demanded a fully signed legal contract stating he wasn't being abducted, and that wasn't something those sent to pick him up could just pull out of their collective asses.

Back to the present, her father was still going, a vein dangerously pulsing on the side of his head as he continued to shout and him.

His hand had fallen still, much like how his charge had stopped trying to plead their case, apparently the new somehow agreed strategy was to just let him burn himself out and watch out for any kind of signs of a medical emergency that this level of high stress could cause.

Finally he could give Ratchet a retort when the CMO had a go at him for ‘wasting time’ watching medical dramas.

Evidently them stopping led to his charges sire stopping as well.

There was a tenuous silence for a few moments and all of a sudden he had the sudden wish that one of the Harpies were here, Wren preferably, she seemed to be the most level headed of the lot… which was weird given who she seemed to be sharing a body with.

He figured that out of all of their hosts, it would be the black themed one who could handle this situation best.

Whilst he was still lost in his own thoughts, his charge began trying to explain what had happened to her sire.

Not four words in and she was struggling.

He couldn’t fault her, even he would have trouble explaining this situation to someone, let alone a sire who’d been worrying themself sick.

Evidently however, her sire wasn’t really paying attention given that he’d pulled her into quite the impressively tight hug.

He stepped back to lean against the balcony barrier, elbows resting behind him on the metal, notepad held in his left hand, pen in his right, attention towards the far dark horizon to try and give the two privacy as they fully embraced one another.

By some stroke of fate, it likely saved their lives.

For only in the night would his holoforms eyes have spotted the fire of a missiles propulsion system hurtling directly towards them.

Notepad and pen were forgotten as he rushed forwards, mouth open in a silent shout, he collided with both, knocking them off balance before dragging each to the doors back into the building.

Already the haunting shrill whistle was audible, and the two humans were recovering from the initial shock, running to keep up with his vice like hold.

They only made it a few metres before the side of the building was hit, and a deafening explosion rang out through the building.

* * *

**WOO! Cliffhanger!**

**I know people hate it when writers do this sometimes but please, no hate.**

**It took so long to update because chapter 15 proved to be a massive pain in the arse to get right, and it's nearly 7,000 words long.**

**Hopefully, given I've already stated chapter 16 the next update will not take as long.**

**But I am now in my second year of University and Adulting takes up a lot of my time not studying.**

**Anyway, hope you all enjoyed! Until next time!**

**Moon**

**Se below for the re-designs**

* * *


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